Building contractor takes on apprentices

A Shropshire building contractor has once again turned to Telford College to help train its latest intake of apprentices.

McPhillips (Wellington) Ltd , based at Hortonwood, has been using the college to train its construction apprentices for the past six years.

The latest intake of nine local people have now begun their studies at the college’s Haybridge Road campus, which will be combined with work on a wide range of McPhillips sites.

Telford College lecturer Jeff Fletcher said: “McPhillips has a long-standing partnership with the college, developing its workforce through the construction apprentice scheme.

“The majority of the company’s workforce started their working life as apprentices – and Telford College has been the preferred education provider since 2011 In fact, McPhillips placed the first construction apprentices which the college trained.”

The partnership has been a huge success, and every apprentice to have so far completed the programme has been given a full-time contract with McPhillips.

They include one of Telford College’s first McPhillips apprentices, Sean McCormick, who was named Midlands Construction Group Apprentice of the Year.

He continued with his studies, completing a higher education course which helped him to earn a promotion to site engineer, then further onto junior site manager.

Carol Smith, director of employer engagement and apprenticeships at Telford College, said: “It is an absolute pleasure to welcome these young people to begin their training towards rewarding careers. 

“They are the face of McPhillips when in our college, and are already showing excellent attitudes and behaviours which are valued by employers. I am certain they will do themselves, the college and McPhillips proud.”

Stuart Bishop, safety, health environment, and quality assurance manager at McPhillips, said: “We are delighted to have these nine apprentices on board, and wish them well for their future careers.”

McPhillips (Wellington) Ltd – a former Shropshire Company of the Year – is a fully integrated building and civil engineering company, founded in 1963, working on roads and highways, bridges, car parks, footpaths, drainage, sewers, canals, earthworks, groundworks, demolition, land remediation and other infrastructure projects.

Seventy per cent of the company’s staff live within a 10-mile radius of the head office.

Picture: Jeff Fletcher, principal Graham Guest and Carol Smith from Telford College, and McPhillips contracts director Andrew Dunham, with the new apprentices - Jake Berriman, Jack Humphreys, Daniel Higginbottom, Regan Stanford, Jamie Evans, Oliver Lear, Lyen Cherrington, Jack Taylor, and Kian Campion.