Community garden apprentices dig deep for award

A team of nine apprentices at Plymouth City Council are gearing up to become ‘Apprenticeship Team of the Year’ by revamping a community garden.

The award is part of the Brathay Apprenticeship Challenge, organised by the Brathay Trust and the National Apprenticeship Service, which sees teams of apprentices across the UK competing to gain the title.

The teams will develop, organise, promote and deliver a project that will benefit communities in their city. This will lead up to a big finale during National Apprenticeship Week which runs from Monday 11 to Friday 15 March.

Plymouth’s team of enthusiastic apprentices will be working on a project that will involve a makeover of a section of the Place De Brest garden. They have chosen to link the theme with the 50th anniversary of Plymouth’s twinning with Brest in France.

Staff who manage the parks in the city have been working with the apprentices to put together plans, designs and to ensure resources are in place for the visual transformation of the garden. This will include planting, landscaping and general ground maintenance.

The garden will officially be opened on Friday 15 March, during National Apprenticeship Week.

Throughout the year the garden will be maintained by the apprentices and flowers will be replanted to meet the needs of the changing seasons.

The apprentices are all working towards a variety of NVQ qualifications including business admin, customer services, horticulture and cleaning services. This challenge will help them manage a project from planning through to delivery – testing their non-technical work and personal skills.

Working as part of a team with specific roles really help them understand how a workplace operates. The challenge will provide an opportunity for the apprentices to work independently on tasks which will help build their confidence and build new skills.

Councillor Tudor Evans, The Leader of Plymouth City Council: “We have achieved a great deal this year in supporting young people get into work. We currently provided around 40 apprentices at any one time across many departments and qualification frameworks.

“This project and overall challenge is supported by the 1000 club, the city’s initiative to encourage employers to take on an apprentice.

“Come on Plymouth, we’re all ‘rooting’ for you!!!!”

Ken Holder, Plymouth City Council’s Apprenticeships Coordinator added: “This challenge will provide our apprentices the opportunity to demonstrate and showcase skills that young people have. The message is a strong one and helps show businesses that young people in Plymouth have plenty to offer employers. It also shares with young people the values of apprenticeships as a progressive career opportunity.”

To follow Plymouth's apprentices over the next few weeks as they bid to become Brathay Challenge Team of the Year 2013 please follow them on the Official Plymouth City Council’s Facebook page and Twitter @plymouthcc and share with as many people as possible.