Regional housebuilder William Davis Homes has celebrated the 50th anniversary of its apprenticeship awards scheme by praising a new ‘golden’ generation of construction workers.
Nineteen-year-old apprentice electrician Demi Whitehead has become the first female to be named the company’s Apprentice of the Year. Her mentor, David Oliver, won the title himself in 1975 and praised her hard work and dedication.
Runner-up was fourth-year apprentice joiner Carlo Williams, also aged 19. There was a teamwork award for three third-year apprentice bricklayers: Aiden Busy, Matthew Walker and Alex Seymour.
As well as being the Golden anniversary, this year’s awards evening was extra special after the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Managing Director of William Davis Homes, Guy Higgins, praised the skills and resilience of the company’s 38 apprentices – as well as the support of the mentors.
“It was wonderful to see the return of our awards night and to celebrate the hard work and achievements of our apprentices in this golden year for young talent,” said Mr Higgins.
“Many of our apprentices have had their training disrupted because of the pandemic. To see their level of progress despite this challenge is testament to their attitude and commitment.
“Over the years, a large part of our workforce has been built on apprenticeships. It is tremendous to see this homegrown pipeline of skills continuing and I’m delighted to see our first female Apprentice of the Year.”
Demi Whitehead is a fourth-year apprentice who joined the company straight from school in 2018. “I’m really proud to win this award,” she said. “When I came for my interview three years ago, I didn’t even think I’d get the apprenticeship.
“I’ve always been more practical than academic. I come from a family of tradesmen and have always helped my dad and grandad. I love my job and look forward to continuing my journey with William Davis Homes.”
Demi’s off-site studies are at Loughborough College but now that she is in the final year of the apprenticeship, most of her time is spent gaining skills on the company’s Buttercup Fields development at Shepshed.
Her mentor David Oliver said: “Demi is a confident apprentice and this shows in her approach to her work and problem solving. She is eager to learn new skills and put them into practice. Demi gets on well with other trades and site staff and is a credit to herself and the department.”
William Davis Homes’ apprenticeship scheme has won a number of awards. They include a National Housebuilder Award and a Construction Industry Training Board Award. The company also has a team of technical trainees in skills such as quantity surveying and engineering.
A large proportion of the company’s current workforce started as William Davis Homes apprentices. On average, around nine out of ten stay with the company – higher than the national average. Seventeen former Apprentice of the Year winners are still working for the company.
“Apprentices are the future of our company,” said Guy Higgins. “It is a credit to the mentors and trainers that so many apprentices decide to stay with us, demonstrating that completing an apprenticeship can lead to a long and fulfilling career.”
