A hardworking brickwork apprentice at Riverside College has taken on a new position as a Trainee Site Manager within Bloor Homes, the UK’s largest privately-owned housebuilder, after impressing his employer with his talent and dedication.
Phil Barrett was introduced to the major housebuilder on a work experience placement during his time at Riverside. After impressing the company, he was offered a Brickwork Apprenticeship and has now successfully progressed onto the Bloor Homes Trainee Site Management scheme, offering him fantastic opportunities for a successful future career in construction.
Bloor Homes is the largest privately held housing developer in the UK and is a family run business with over 1200 employees across the country. Riverside College has been working closely with the company, and each year they support up to four brickwork students to become apprentices. The apprentices train with Bloor’s industry specialists and go on to become full time bricklayers with the company.
Phil is delighted with his new role and hopes to progress within the company and become a Site Manager. He said, “I always wanted to progress in the construction industry and learn more, so the first step towards that was going onto the management side. I took the chance and applied for the trainee manager job and when I was successful, I was over the moon because I knew it was the beginning of a successful journey. The support I’ve had off Riverside College and the teachers has helped me tremendously and they were always there which I am very thankful for.”
Ian Colligan, Brickwork tutor at Riverside College, said, “It is extremely rare for someone so young to be selected for this type of opportunity and it is a testimony to his dedication and hard work that he has now been rewarded with a fantastic opportunity to further his career within the construction industry. From all of the Brickwork team at Riverside, we wish Phil the best of luck for the future. He has been a pleasure to teach and is a credit to himself and his family.”