(1888PressRelease)
February 26, 2009 - In a special graduation ceremony on 11 February, HRH Prince Charles awarded two students sponsored by ATL, the UK’s leading provider of trade skills training their NVQ Level 3 in Heritage Skills. Patrick McManus and Kieran Wint were two out of ten young Traditional Building Craftsmen who were specially selected for The Prince of Wales’s Building Crafts Apprentices Programme and have now completed their training and received an NVQ Level 3 in Heritage Skills, which bridges the gap between basic qualifications and becoming a master craftsperson. The qualification is one that will be compulsory by 2010 to work on heritage sites.
Over an eight-month period, both apprentices worked on a number of cultural heritage sites including Windsor Castle, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, Woodchester Mansion and Poundbury where they helped build the youth pavilion during their placement.
Patrick McManus, 24, who obtained his NVQ Level 3 as a Stonemason said, “I have learned whole new methods and techniques of working different types of stone. Every second of the placement has been enjoyable and educational.” Patrick intends to return to his hometown of Penrith and set up his own business as a self-employed stonemason.
Kieran Wint, 26 from Staffordshire, not only achieved his Site Carpenter NVQ Level 3 but was presented with a special award by HRH Prince Charles - The Hancock’s award, which was awarded to the apprentice for their outstanding achievement and exceptional progress throughout their placements on the programme. He said, “I have gained a wealth of knowledge. There were many new skills learned during these placements, some to elaborate on or hone up skills I already had, and others were totally new to me.”
The trainees were originally selected from hundreds of applications that were received and the final selections made by a judging panel from the Prince’s Foundation for the Building Crafts Apprentices 2008/09 programme.
ATL’s Managing Director, Nick Hayward, whose Southampton based training firm generously sponsored the two young men said “It was an honour to watch our apprentices graduate and being presented with their NVQ 3 in Heritage Skills by Prince Charles. People often forget about the importance of traditional skills such as Stonemasonry and Site Carpentry.
HRH, The Prince Of Wales said during his speech “The Apprentice Programme simply couldn’t exist without the extremely generous contribution of the placement providers and indeed the mentors. Providing opportunities for our apprentices to have that valuable experience, in practice, to hone their skills on both heritage and new build properties, is utterly invaluable.”
HRH continued, “I am sure that the skills shortage in this country is enormous and therefore what they can do here and what we’ve done is but a small pin-prick in the overall picture. Nevertheless it is of crucial importance. And I’m one of those people who has huge admiration for those who have the talent to use the hands, the mind and the eye in way that can produce objects and buildings of such beauty.”
The Prince’s Foundation initiative highlights the importance of heritage skills and provides the opportunity to achieve these skills. There is a decline of traditional skills in the UK and we want to highlight the importance of continuing training to young people whilst there is a recession, as the skilled workers will find it easier to find employment once the recession has ended.”
Apprenticeship Training Limited (ATL) offers a range of training courses for trade skills, and has fully equipped workshops in Southampton, Guildford and Wakefield for training and assessments in Plumbing, Refrigeration, Gas installation and maintenance (domestic and commercial), Heating & Ventilation, Electrical installation and maintenance and Renewable energies.
The Prince’s Foundation for the Built environment is an educational charity, which exists to improve the quality of people’s lives by teaching and practicing timeless and ecological ways of planning, designing and building. Their vision is that all their apprentices will go on to teach and disseminate their principles in their future work.
Photographs available from PA
Further press information: - Terence Holloway-Johnson, PR. 01582 543618
For information about ATL contact Nick Hayward at Apprenticeship Training Limited, by telephone 02380 602 971 or via the website www.apprenticeshiptraining.co.uk.
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