A young apprentice from Bangor was recently been recognized for his hard work by winning Student of the Year for his outstanding progress in Construction Craft at Coleg Menai.
Liam Coffey who’s 18 is an apprentice plasterer with Caernarfon based company Evans, Wilson & Evans. Having worked for the company for over 6 months, he also attends Coleg Menai to gain his NVQ Level 2 qualification.
Currently, Liam is working on homes in Deiniolen as part of local housing association, Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd’s (CCG) improvement programme to bring homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. Liam is working with Evans, Wilson & Evans to re-render and insulate over 20 homes in the village making the homes warmer and more energy efficient for the tenants.
Liam said, “I’m really enjoying my apprenticeship with Evans, Wilson & Evans it’s great that I can work and learn a craft at the same time as improving local homes. It’s also great to be earning a wage as I learn my trade. I’m really pleased to have won the award and it’s given me a real boost to want to continue with my apprenticeship and it has also improved my job prospects for when I finish and become a fully qualified plasterer.
“I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone as I’ve been able to learn new skills and gain great work experience as I work. Working on a large scale project like CCG’s improvement programme has also been valuable as it has given me an opportunity to learn new and different skills by working on a number of homes across Gwynedd. These are skills that will stay with me and that I can put to great use in the future.”
Liam is one of over 60 trainees that’s been working on CCG’s improvement programme across Gwynedd, which accounts for nearly 20% of the employees working on the programme.
Ffrancon Williams, CCG Chief Executive said, “Liam’s achievement is not only fantastic news for him and his employers, Evans, Wilson & Evans, but also for us at CCG as it demonstrates that our trainee and apprentice initiative within the improvement programme is a success. In order to ensure that our Welsh Housing Quality Standard programme not only provides an economic boost to Gwynedd but also develops the right skills to support the local economy, CCG requires every contractor working on the programme to ensure that 15% of their workforce is either trainees or apprentices. With most contractors exceeding the minimum level, the improvement programme has allowed over 60 trainees and apprentices to gain new skills and qualifications within Gwynedd ensuring a more skilled workforce for the future.”
Theresa Evans, Director of Evans, Wilson & Evans said; “We are very pleased that Liam has won this award. He has worked hard throughout his apprenticeship and I’m glad that this has been recognized. As a company, employing trainees and apprentices is very important to us to make sure our staff’s skills develop as we as a company develop. Working on CCG’s improvement programme has allowed us to give a number of young people, which may have otherwise been unemployed, the opportunity to learn new skills and gain qualifications whilst earning a wage and all within their local community.”
