A HAMPSHIRE housebuilding company announced its plans last week to recruit over 1,000 apprentices, graduates and trainees.

Barratt Homes, based in Southampton, said it will recruit up to 1,100 new personnel at a special seminar celebrating the addition of some of their newest recruits.

The announcement was made in line with National Apprenticeship Week which started on Monday (March 3).

Community liaison manager Anthony Dimmick said: “These people are our future and it was a great opportunity to talk about the Barratt values, and also talk about some of our successful apprentices so far.”

The latest intake of apprentices working on Barratt developments includes James Johnson who is the first pupil from Redbridge Community School to secure an apprenticeship after studying the school’s Construction Baccalaureate.

He is working at Barratt’s Cardinal Park development as a carpentry apprentice with RMS Carpentry.

Successful apprentices also include Eastleigh contracts manager Paul Ebbs who began his career with Barratt as an apprentice at the age of 16. Seven years later he reached the position of site manager where he led a £20m regeneration development of 237 homes in Eastleigh before becoming a contracts manager.

Paul has won numerous company awards, achieving NVQ, BTEC, HNC and degree level qualifications in construction, and in recent years he has also acted as a mentor to young apprentices joining the company.

Award-winning site manager, Matt Annalls, from Waterlooville joined Barratt in 2003 having previously worked as a forklift driver. As an apprentice he completed a BTEC and NVQ3 before becoming an assistant site manager and then site manager.

In Southampton, Ben Hansford left school and became a roofer before becoming a technical site manager at the Cardinal Park development.

Mr Dimmick added: “These people are all proof that an apprenticeship is an ideal way into a great career in construction and we look forward to continuing our commitment.”