AN award winning Fenland property company has taken on three apprentices to work for Norwich City Council, training them to work on buildings owned by the Norfolk authority.
Foster Property Maintenance of Wisbech - declared business of the year in the 2012 Fenland Enterprise Business Awards - was able to create the places as a result of the company’s Eastern Procurement Consortium winning tender for the council’s planned works programme.
The company committed to offer training for the duration of the contract, and ten months into the contract, the young people are already exceeding expectations.
Foster Property Maintenance was also the 2012 Environment and Sustainability winner of the Archant Anglia EDP Business Awards, run by this newspaper’s sister publication,.
It has taken on two young electricians and a plumber, who are working with qualified tradesmen. There are plans to take on another electrical apprentice in September.
James Ellis, Foster Property Maintenance contracts manager, said: “It is fantastic to help such keen and eager to learn youngsters gain experience and education in the trade they wish to pursue.
“Our apprentices are doing a great job and we are taking every opportunity to help them develop throughout their time with us.”
The recruitment process for the apprentices was carried out in conjunction with Norwich City College, and the company was inundated with applications from prospective candidates.
Plumbing apprentice Jonathan Carver, 19, said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed learning new skills and developing what I already knew. I am really enjoying working with the heating engineers at FPM, being part of the Foster team.”
Foster Property Maintenance was founded in 1976 and provides property maintenance, renewal and refurbishment services to the affordable housing and public property sectors in East Anglia and beyond.
FPM’s sister company, Foster Renewable Energies Ltd, designs supplies and installs renewable energy systems for existing and new clients in residential, social housing, farming and commercial sectors.
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