Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, visited Oval Village today as the Department for Education celebrated the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week. The visit highlighted the crucial role apprenticeships play in building careers and supporting the construction industry.
During her visit, the Secretary of State met apprentices from Lee Marley, a specialist brickwork and scaffolding contractor working on the Oval Village development, as well as project apprentices from Berkeley who are contributing to the delivery of the project. She had the opportunity to see a live bricklaying demonstration by the Lee Marley apprentices and engage in discussions about their experiences and future aspirations within the industry.
Berkeley Group has also today announced that the application process for its award-winning apprenticeship programme is now open. The programme creates opportunities across the business with pathways in technical, commercial, business, and site management. Applications for the apprenticeship programme are open until 28 March.
Paul Vallone, Chairman, Berkeley St Edward, commented: "We are incredibly proud that the Government has chosen to visit the Lee Marley apprentices at Oval Village to mark the start of National Apprenticeship Week. Their expertise is essential to the development, with over 3.5 million bricks required to complete the project. The Lee Marley Academy is a fantastic initiative, playing a key role in attracting and nurturing top talent in the bricklaying industry. More broadly, at Oval Village, we have supported 37 local apprenticeships and created nearly 200 local jobs, strengthening both skills and opportunities in the community.”
Dan Clarkson, COO of Lee Marley, added: "Apprentices are the future of construction. Through extensive, hands-on experience and college training, they are developing the essential skills our industry needs. Lee Marley currently have 107 young people building a career in our apprenticeship programme along with a dozen graduates. We anticipate enrolling 100 apprentices in our academy over the next 12 months as we invest in capacity to meet the new government’s housing strategy. Our ambition, along with our partners at Berkeley Group, is to play a leading role in strengthening the sector’s workforce and ensuring its future success."
Cllr Claire Holland, the Leader of Lambeth Council, said: "We were delighted to join Berkeley and the Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson in Lambeth to mark the start of National Apprenticeship week. It was a chance to show off our brilliant apprentices and celebrate their achievements.
"Here in Lambeth we have a relentless focus on ensuring our young people can get the best start in life, and we can only achieve that by working with partners like Berkeley, as we have seen today."
Across the Berkeley Group, 9.5% of our employees are in ‘earn and learn’ roles, including over 150 apprentices, 50 graduates, and 55 sponsored students. Last year alone, Berkeley Group hosted nearly 200 careers events with schools, colleges, and universities, in addition to providing more than 50 work experience placements.
As National Apprenticeship Week gets underway, the visit to Oval Village underscores the value of apprenticeships in equipping young people with vital skills and supporting the future of the construction sector.
The images below show the transformation of Oval Village. For more information click here.
