How has your experience thus far been, working with Y Prentis?
Excellent, the ability to pick the phone up and communicate with Y Prentis to discuss opportunities is vital to keep site projects moving, and to offer site‐based work experience to apprentices.
You have partnered up with Y Prentis for more than 6 years now, since joining us in June 2014. Why did you choose to get involved with Y Prentis?
Have you tried offering traditional apprenticeships in the past, and if so what was your experience?
We have liaised with various different authorities to create apprentice opportunities; however, it has been somewhat problematic from the management of the individual. There hasn’t been a formal structure in place to manage apprentices work and study load, and to coordinate a continued site‐based experience.
What do you find most appealing regarding the
shared-apprenticeship model?
The ability to communicate efficiently and to call upon a number of different trades that can help the site‐based team out when extra resource is needed. It benefits ourselves and the apprentice.
What is the most satisfying part of hosting an apprentice?
Being able to tell an individual that full time work will be offered at the end of the agreement.
What is the most challenging part of hosting an apprentice?
The reliability of the individual; depending on the trade and experience, we sometimes face challenges getting apprentices to site on time, however this is understandable due to age, and first time working on a live site.
What advice would you give to other companies considering hosting an apprentice?
Definitely try the programme; there may be a number of occasions where the individual and company do not get on, however we have found that by taking every individual as a brand‐new apprentice looking for work, it has benefited our company a lot.
What advice would you give a young person that is interested in taking up an apprenticeship? What attributes do you look for in your apprentices?
We have found through a number of individuals, and not just through Y Prentis, to just be hungry to gain the site‐based work experience. A lot of the time, the chosen apprenticeship is not always completed by the individual, because they have experienced something else on site that they have become interested in. This then starts to make the individual multi‐skilled, and becomes a valuable asset to not just ourselves as a company, but to them personally.
Background Info:
Pendragon (Design & Build) was born in 1986. A principal contractor operating within the South East Wales region. Pendragon has delivered new homes for residential occupants for over 30 years. In 1988, Pendragon was successful in acquiring land to develop over 80 new dwellings in the borough of Torfaen. Through contacts within Torfaen County Borough Council, Pendragon was able to establish a package deal with a local housing association, to deliver 70 affordable dwellings, under a JCT Design and Build contract. This was one of the largest affordable housing schemes in South East Wales at the time. The experience gained over the years within this field has been substantial.
Pendragon has a wealth of profound understanding of Welsh Government requirements in the affordable housing market, such as the compliance and delivery of DQR and Lifetime Homes. The company is fortunate and extremely proud to consistently sustain a very low staff turnover, maintaining the same team for the past 25 years. This experienced team’s collective knowledge and expertise within the field enable Pendragon to excel in this market. The market success is greatly supported by a loyal following of subcontractors and suppliers who have been partners to Pendragon throughout this time.
Over the years Pendragon has engaged with a number of difficult contracts, where particular expertise were required to successfully navigate the project. For example, ground remediation for mining and contamination, proof drilling and grouting, piling, RC structures, extensive offsite drainage, highway works, bridge installations and pipe jacking among many others. Pendragon has also excelled in other key areas, such as comprehensive refurbishment to existing stock, bespoke residential, factory and office complexes, retail units, educational buildings, and multi residential buildings.
