A CONSTRUCTION and development company is celebrating its 25th anniversary by setting itself the goal of creating at least 25 sustainable apprenticeships.
Southdale, which partnered Kirklees Council in a major scheme to demolish more than 500 council-owned properties and develop 520 new homes for private sale in Brackenhall and Deighton, already has 10 apprentices among its 120-strong workforce – four of them joining the company this year.
Now a wide range of apprenticeships across a variety of building trades will become available throughout the year with projects based out of Southdale’s offices at Halifax, Warrington and Darlington.
Human resources director Beverley Robinson said: “With the exception of the company founders, Southdale’s board of directors consists entirely of people who have advanced their skills within the business.
“While we have yet to see an apprentice achieve board level, we believe our desire to develop people within our ranks shows that the sky is the limit for people in our industry.”
Ms Robinson, who joined the company as a bookkeeper in 1991, said: “It is vital that companies such as Southdale get firmly behind apprenticeships, because neglecting this important area risks leaving a skills gap when the construction sector grows again.
“Bringing young people into the business, especially when the opportunity arises for them to work within the communities in which they live, is hugely rewarding.”
Managing director Paul Moore, who joined Southdale as a purchasing manager in 1994, said: “In years to come, the young talent which is developed now will be at the heart of our workforce, if not leading it.
“That is why creating apprenticeships, engaging with schools and colleges and developing opportunities for people to learn about and enter the construction industry is at the heart of every project we work upon.”
