A former Pave Aways apprentice has been sharing the story of his career journey in a bid to inspire construction workers of the future.
Aaron Evans has been explaining how he progressed to become a trainee contracts manager in a case study for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
He joined Pave Aways as an apprentice carpenter, working on site alongside experienced carpenter mentors, while completing his Level 2 carpentry qualification at Shrewsbury College one day a week.
After four years on site, Aaron successfully applied for an internal role as a project planner. Following four years in that post, he was offered the chance to train as a contracts manager, a job he has now been in for 10 months.
During this time Aaron has undergone training in areas such as contract law, site management safety, mental health first aid and fire door awareness for supervisors.
In the CITB case study, Aaron explained how his experience as an apprentice is supporting his development.
“I’m really glad that I chose a carpentry apprenticeship,” he said. “I’ve had so many opportunities with the company, progressing to my current role of trainee contracts manager. My previous experience as a carpenter has helped me as I have developed knowledge working on site throughout many construction projects”.
Providing opportunities for existing staff to learn new skills and progress through the company was a priority for Pave Aways to help tackle the skills gaps in construction, said training manager Michelle Benjamin.
She added: “By offering training and progression to Aaron, we were able to give the opportunity of career development to a current employee who we knew to be reliable and had the necessary skills and experience for the role.
“This is an excellent example of what can be achieved from starting at an apprentice level.”