Lattimer Taking On Apprentices

Jack Bullock, Wayne Longman, Laura Bell, Bradley Thompson & Shaun Clark

Lattimer Homes is building for the future by continuing to employ local youngsters as apprentices.
We currently have five teenagers learning their trades with us, four out on site and another in our office at Mealsgate near Wigton.

All earn a wage while being offered the opportunity to gain qualifications by attending local colleges.
Shaun Clark, 16, from Silloth, is the youngest of our current crop of apprentices. The apprentice bricklayer left Solway Community College in May last year and went straight into a job with us.
He said: “I’ve been learning a lot, doing practical work and labouring for the first 12 months. It’s gone very well. I’ll be going to Carlisle College in September to do a bricklayers’ course. A lot of my friends are struggling to get jobs and are having to go to college because they can’t find work.”
Our other apprentices are bricklayer Jack Bullock, 19, of Wigton, labourer Wayne Longman, 19, of Fletchertown, and labourer Bradley Thompson, 18, of Aspatria.
Laura Bell, 19, from Carlisle, completes the line-up, having started her office job at our headquarters last year. She said: “I had made 97 job applications before I got this. I was starting to lose hope!”
Our latest intake means we are now employing nearly 40 people.
Director George Lattimer said: “We are very conscious of constantly maintaining our hard-earned reputation for top-quality craftsmanship but we also recognise the need to develop new skills among the next generation. This is why we look to take on enthusiastic local youngsters with the right attitude whenever we can and train them on the job and through college.
“It also shows there are still jobs out there for young people and it keeps the whole thing fresh to have new blood coming into the business. The new apprentices always do 12 months on site before we let them go to college. Then we look for them to get their CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) qualifications. It shows you don’t have to go to college before you get a job or an apprenticeship. Our latest batch are doing really well. We are really pleased with them.”