Nine apprentices at leading housebuilder Redrow Homes’ Bristol operations are taking part in a national challenge to promote apprenticeships to potential employers and youngsters considering their future career options.
Grace Knight, Rhiannon Trower, Abigail Hipkiss, Liam Fitzpatrick, Joe Page, Jacob Leworthy, Dario Lanciano, Ben Farrow and Caleb Law will all take on a series of work-related challenges to develop new skills and engage young people and businesses as part of the Brathay Challenge. 
The nine youngsters, whose positions range from office-based customer service and administrative roles to on-site plumbing and carpentry roles, will start by carrying out a series of talks at schools and colleges in the area, to explain the benefits of apprenticeships.
They will also organise job swaps with key members of the Redrow South West team including regional chief executive Barry Stiles and managing director Lee Hawker.
The team are competing against more than 650 apprentices from 75 organisations across the country taking part in the Brathay Challenge, a joint initiative run by the National Apprenticeship Service and Brathay Trust, which provides personal and social development opportunities for young people.
If they win their regional heat, they will go on to promote apprenticeships and take part in teambuilding exercises at Brathay’s headquarters on Lake Windermere alongside the other eight national finalists.
Grace, who joined Redrow as an office apprentice in August 2016 after completing her GCSEs, said: “Apprenticeships are a great way for young people like me to get on the job ladder while also benefitting from professional training.
“Loads of the apprentices at Redrow go on to work their way up into permanent roles.
“We’re all keen to promote apprenticeships to a wider audience and the Brathay Challenge is the perfect way to do that. We’ve started going out to schools and colleges and talking to business in the area to encourage more people to run apprenticeship schemes. In the process we are also learning lots of new skills like presenting, teamwork and leadership.”
Redrow South West managing director Lee Hawker said: “At Redrow, we run an annual apprenticeship scheme as part of our commitment to introduce talented youngsters to the industry. Many of our apprentices go on to take up key roles within the company.
“Through their hard work and dedication, our apprentices provide vital support to the rest of our growing team.
“It is great to see this group working so hard to promote the benefits of apprenticeships to other employers in the region.”
The regional heats of the challenge end on April 26.
