Are you ready to take your Next Steps towards a new career?

An exciting competition is about to get underway in Carmarthenshire to find a new Full-time PAID Apprentice for local construction firm Lloyd & Gravell Ltd

The competition is open to men and women who are aged over 16 and live in Carmarthenshire

Candidates successful at interview will be invited to take part in six weeks of on-site skills training in carpentry, bricklaying and plastering, and will take part in exciting weekly challenges to test your learning ability

The winner will start a two-year paid apprenticeship with Lloyd & Gravell Ltd in September

This could be the Next Steps towards your new future…

General information

Next Steps is run in partnership between Carmarthenshire County Council’s Property Services division, Coleg Sir Gar, Carmarthenshire Construction and Training Association (CCTAL) and Lloyd and Gravell Ltd.

It is an exciting competition to find a new construction apprentice to work with Carmarthenshire-based building contractor Lloyd and Gravell Ltd.

Any person, male or female, aged over 16 and living in Carmarthenshire, can enter the competition to be in with a chance of winning a full-time paid apprenticeship for a minimum of two years.

Applications are invited by the close of day on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. Forms can be downloaded from this website, or from www.lloydandgravell.co.uk

Interviews take place in June, and those successful will take part in an introductory college-based training period for two weeks.

The competition is then whittled down to six candidates who are split in to two teams. These teams are ‘buddied up’ with mentors at Lloyd and Gravell, and take part in skills training on a working construction site in Carmarthenshire.

Candidates can expect to get covered from head to toe in dust from pulling down ceilings, get knee-deep in sand and cement, and get their hands covered in plastering skim…

Candidates will also take part in weekly construction challenges in trades including plastering, bricklaying and carpentry.

Those who come out best in the challenges will win rewards – but beware, those who do not fare so well may have to endure a forfeit…

A judging panel will be monitoring the candidates throughout, and with the help of the building site mentors, a winner will be chosen and announced in August.

The winner will then begin a full-time paid apprenticeship with Lloyd and Gravell for a minimum of two years, starting on Tuesday, August 30, 2011.

Last year’s candidates and winner

The Next Steps project was launched in 2010, and was won by 26-year-old Iwan Thomas, from Brynamman.

The dad of two, a former pro-golfer, had never had any previous experience of the building trade, and decided to give it a go to provide a better future for his family.

He is currently progressing well with his apprenticeship at Lloyd and Gravell, and will form part of the interview panel for this year’s competition.

“Winning Next Steps has changed my life. I’m now on my way to becoming a qualified carpenter and am building a secure future for my family.”

Vincent Sheenan, age 31, from Bynea, impressed so much throughout the competition that he was offered an apprenticeship by TRJ Contractors, another Carmarthenshire-based firm. He is now working towards becoming a qualified carpenter. He had previously worked as a labourer.

Sixteen-year-olds William Jones , Michael Jones and Liam Griffiths also took part in the Next Steps competition.

Although they didn’t win, the impressed the judging panel so much with their commitment and enthusiasm that they were all offered places on Coleg Sir Gar’s Pathways to Apprenticeship scheme.
They are nearing the completion of their first year, and are all progressing well.

William is hoping to qualify as a carpenter, and Michael and Liam are each working towards a qualification in bricklaying.

Competition guidelines

The competition process takes place over eight weeks, commencing on Monday, June 27th, 2011, and running until Friday, August 19th, 2011.

Candidates will be required to be available and take part in the process throughout this period - see timetable.

Candidates will be expected to work on a construction site, undertaking any necessary health and safety training, and to attend two weeks of college-based training at Coleg Sir Gar’s Ammanford campus (they will be expected to find their own transport).
A judging panel will monitor candidates throughout the competition process, and will announce their winner at Parc Y Scarlets on Friday, August 26, 2011.

The winner will be expected to commence a two-year minimum paid apprenticeship with Lloyd and Gravell Ltd on Tuesday, August 30, 2011.

The decision made by the judging panel is final, and no correspondence will be entered in to.

By taking part in the competition, candidates agree to take part in any supporting publicity, including press articles, interviews, photographs and filming, which may be published or broadcast in the press, online and via social media channels such as Facebook.

Project timetable

Deadline for applications
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
Interviews take place at Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011  Thursday, June 16th, 2011
Successful candidates commence two weeks of college-based training
Monday, June 27th, 2011 Monday, July 11th, 2011 Week 1 – onsite training
Monday, July 18th, 2011 Week 2 – onsite training
Monday, July 25th, 2011 Week 3 – onsite training
Monday, August 1st, 2011 Week 4 – onsite training
Monday, August 8th, 2011 Week 5 – onsite training
Monday, August 15th, 2011 Week 6 – onsite training
Winner announced at Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli
Friday, August 26th, 2011
Winner starts apprenticeship with Lloyd & Gravell Ltd
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Partner info/links

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Property Services division

The Property Services division is responsible for the repair, maintenance and improvement of the majority of the council's property assets, including council-owned homes, schools, leisure facilities and social care establishments. It uses its own resources, or works with partners, to provide property design and construction expertise for many of the council's major capital investment projects, such as the Modernising Education Provision programme and the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard.  It also provides expert advice on property-related health and safety responsibilities, and ensures compliance with legislative requirements.
One of its key aims is to develop the potential of its existing workforce, and to work with education and training providers to develop apprenticeship programmes.

www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Lloyd & Gravell Ltd

Lloyd & Gravell Ltd is a family run Carmarthenshire business which provides high quality and professional construction, waste management and plumbing and heating services. Established in 1991 and incorporated in 1998, Lloyd & Gravell Ltd has successfully completed numerous contracts within both the private and public sectors. The company continues to strengthen and develop and currently directly employs a local workforce totalling 58.
Lloyd & Gravell Ltd has been part of Carmarthenshire County Council’s construction framework since 2007.

www.lloydandgravell.co.uk

Coleg Sir Gâr

The Built Environment Centre at Coleg Sir Gâr is leading the way for its provision and success in construction training.  Student success and the quality of training has achieved national and international recognition at skills competitions run by industry-led organisations such as ConstructionSkills and the Chartered Institute of Building.  Working in partnership with various organisations and construction industry bodies has led to a number of successful and award-winning schemes such as the Shared Apprentice Scheme and the Pink Ladies. Coleg Sir Gar, which is one of the largest further education colleges in Wales, has invested heavily into a brand new purpose-built learning environment which offers facilities in a range of construction industries which includes gas and solar installation.  The centre offers a wide range of provision at its Ammanford campus, from school-link programmes right up to degree level qualifications.

www.colegsirgar.ac.uk

Carmarthenshire Construction Training Association Ltd (CCTAL)

CCTAL was formed over 22 years ago to provide a forum to develop and implement the training requirements of local construction employers. In 2001 it became the first independent construction training association in Wales. In 2008 it changed its status to a company limited by guarantee. It is also affiliated to ConstructionSkills (Sector Skills Council).

www.cctal.co.uk