Leading homebuilder Persimmon Homes celebrates after the company was named the winner of Bridgend College’s Employer Partnership Award for 2022.
The College’s annual awards ceremony recognizes the support of valued employer partners while recognizing learners with outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to study.
Persimmon has been recognized for his work with Bridgend in establishing a groundbreaking education and training academy, which trains the next generation of construction workers in South Wales.
The ‘Persimmon Academy’ allows apprentices to develop their skills in a bespoke building and learning facility in the home builder’s development in Llanilid, Ponytclun.
This year the College has also designed a ‘management apprenticeship’ course tailored to Persimmon and will train future staff in the company’s Welsh Developments with qualifications in construction and site management.
The initiative builds on a successful relationship that has been established over the past five years and has created over 150 new construction job opportunities in South Wales.
Commenting, Carl Davey of Persimmon Homes said the award underlined “the significant investment the company is making in staff training and recruitment”.
He added:
“Persimmon’s partnership with Bridgend College is vital to the future of the business in South Wales, and we are delighted that our work with apprentices has been recognised.
“Construction is the big driver of the Welsh economy, and our apprenticeship scheme has already created over 150 job opportunities for workers at our sites across the country.
“The establishment of the Persimmon Academy in Llanilid reinforces our commitment to learning and will ensure that our workforce reflects the communities in which we build and the customers we serve.
“The bespoke management apprenticeship is another unique addition to our training offering and will ensure we attract quality candidates to propel the company forward in our quest to become the nation’s leading homebuilder.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership and providing a first-class learning environment that produces the next generation of construction workers in South Wales.”
Congratulating Persimmon on the award, a Bridgend College spokesperson said:
“Persimmon West Wales is the worthy winner of our Employer Partnership Award for 2022.
“Our partnership provides learning opportunities in an area of Wales that has been hit by job losses in the steel and automotive industries.
“The model we have created with Persimmon West Wales has created over 150 new employment opportunities for both early career apprentices and those looking to retrain and enter the construction industry.
“The partnership also extended to offering new site management learning specific to Persimmon, creating the Persimmon leaders of the future.
“The training academy is also a great opportunity for apprentices to gain real work experience while learning. We hope that our close working relationship will continue to grow stronger in the future.
