Lowestoft youngster chases award glory

A young carpentry apprentice from Lowestoft is one step closer to being crowned Persimmon Homes’ Apprentice of the Year. 17-year-old Thomas Rackham, who works for Lowestoft-based Persimmon Homes Anglia, is through to the grand final after scooping the title of winner for the Eastern region, beating off stiff competition from the housebuilders’ apprentices at the Essex regional company, and wins vouchers to the value of £250 to spend on tools.

Thomas has recently completed the second year of his apprenticeship after studying at Lowestoft College. In order to gain on the job training, since joining Persimmon in 2006, Thomas has spent time working alongside skilled tradesmen and contractors at a number of highly successful Persimmon developments including Castleton Meadows in Carlton Colville.

Shaun Marjoram, Persimmon’s regional construction manager, said: “Thomas’ ability as a carpenter is excellent and his overall desire to do well makes him an extremely valuable member of the team at Castleton Meadows.”

Persimmon’s regional chairman, David Bryant agrees. He comments: “Thomas has proved himself to be an asset to the company and I would like to wish him the best of luck for the next stage of the competition.”

Thomas now goes through to the grand final where he hopes to emerge as Persimmon’s Apprentice of the Year 2007, which boasts a top cash prize of £1,000. The overall winner will be announced during National Construction Week (8th – 12th October).

Now in its fifth year, Persimmon’s internal ‘Apprentice of the Year’ contest aims to showcase and celebrate the achievements of the company’s own ever growing number of apprentices and highlight their value in the workplace, a figure which currently stands at 290 across 25 regional offices. All second and third year Persimmon apprentices are eligible to enter whether they specialise in bricklaying, carpentry or any other core discipline.

The Apprentice Awards form part of Persimmon’s continuous programme of activity aimed at encouraging young people into the house building industry. The company has launched a number of initiatives over the past five years under its award-winning ‘Homing in on Opportunity’ programme, aimed primarily at 14-16 year olds. These have included a popular Careers Manual which was praised by The Department of Education, teachers and pupils alike for its clear job descriptions, real life case studies and national curriculum based tasks, careers posters and a Graduate Award scheme.

For details regarding career opportunities with Persimmon Homes, visit Persimmonhomes.com and click on the recruitment link.