To mark National Apprenticeship Week (9th-15th February), we are proud to announce we have partnered with YMCA to help young people build skills and careers in arboriculture through our apprenticeship scheme.
The partnership forms part of VMS’ commitment to grow our own workforce to combat the nationwide skills shortage in arboriculture, enabling young people in the community to have stable, skilled employment opportunities.
As part of the joint venture, Central YMCA’s dedicated free recruitment service team are on hand to help young people achieve their goals via its wraparound support, including CV workshops and interview preparation.
Four arboriculture apprentices, Douglas Hincks, Kyle Bailey, William Childs and Chris Belbin have already benefitted from the collaboration, having recently joined the VMS team. As part of their onboarding process, the four have undertaken a range of Lantra accredited training via VMS Ltd’s training arm, VMT Ltd.
Commenting on the importance of the apprenticeship scheme at VMS, its competency & skills development coordinator Corinne Allen, said: “Our work at VMS is not just about managing vegetation, it’s about investing in futures.
“Through our apprenticeship programmes and in-house training provision we give young people the skills, confidence and real-world experience they need to build lasting careers in arboriculture.
“We are committed to skilling up the workforce of tomorrow and helping the arboriculture sector thrive for years to come. Our four current apprentices are already gaining valuable qualifications while growing a career in arboriculture.
“By partnering with Central YMCA, we are able to reach young people who may not have considered a career in the land-based sector, offering them a chance to thrive in a professional, outdoor environment”.
Sally-Ann Gage, sector skills manager at YMCA said: “Through this partnership, we deliver flexible, work-based learning directly in the workplace, helping learners develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to successfully complete their end-point assessment. By combining hands-on experience with structured, blended training from Central YMCA, we are supporting apprentices to address skills shortages while building rewarding careers in arboriculture.”
For more information about YMCA, see www.ymca.co.uk/