Shropshire Homes has a long-standing reputation for investing in its people, offering many of its employees to complete qualifications whilst working.
Crudgington Fields
Recently, Shropshire Homes apprentices, Ben Sturmey, Aaron Knight and James Morgan completed their Level 2 NVQ in Carpentry, achieving an astonishing double distinction. All three undertook a rigorous exam at a test centre in Stoke-on-Trent. The assessment included practical and theory, requiring them to complete a number of tasks in exam conditions, followed by a professional discussion around their individual portfolios.
Ian Lawson, Training Manager who mentors and guides our apprentices through the process was very pleased with their results, “I was thrilled to see that the apprentice Carpenters featured all achieved distinctions. This is a reflection of their skills and knowledge and their ability to keep a cool head in the exam tension of the end point assessment. For me it is a sign that as a company we are investing in the stars of today for tomorrow’s challenges”.
To celebrate their success, we spoke to Ben Sturmey, who is based at Ivetsey Fields. Ben started at Shropshire Homes in June 2020 and has gained an array of experience and knowledge during that time – working across five of our sites, including Leighton Park, the Beeches, Cricketers Meadow, Home Farm, Ledwyche Rise and Ivetsey Fields. Prior to this, Ben ran a pub for 18 months, but decided he wanted a change of career and, following his dad’s footsteps, chose carpentry.
When asking Ben what he liked about studying whilst working and his future career plans, he said “The broad range of aspects you learn about and the experience you gain from watching skilled employees and having them teach you the best way… I definitely want to carry on with carpentry for the time being and learn the trade inside out and some aspects of all the other trades. Once I have achieved that, and have a perfect understanding of how a site works, hopefully, I will venture into site management and the qualifications involved with that.”
On asking Ben what he likes about working at Shropshire Homes, he said “The Camaraderie. The extra mile as an apprentice the firm go to help you with qualifications, and learning new skills from lots of experienced people on site.”
Ben added a special thank you to “Thanks to my dad – Robin Sturmey, Mark Clift who also taught me a lot, Ian Lawson – Training Manager and my two college tutors Allan Barrett and Stuart Raine who were brilliant.”
Shropshire Homes currently employ 11 apprentices and support 5 employees completing qualifications whilst working. The company ethos is all around putting its people first – investing in its team and providing the resources and environment they need to flourish.
Thank you to Ben for taking time to chat to us and a huge well done to Ben, Aaron and James – you are all assets to Shropshire Homes!