Land Apprentice Teams and Social Enterprise Development
Groundwork developed the Land Apprentice programme to enable local unemployed people to gain skills and experience within the environmental sector. Our Land Apprentice teams help deliver many of our projects under the guidance of our experienced contracts manager and site supervisors.
Land Apprentice projects include landscape work on the West Midlands canal network for British Waterways along with work for local authorities and the private sector.
Our programme employs local people giving an employment track record on real projects and job-related training. Allied to this we are committed to improving the image and environment of the Black Country.
The Social Enterprise Development has strengthened its position in the market place, which has given us the opportunity to successfully deliver biodiversity improvements to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal from Stourton to Penkridge along a 39km length. The work commenced in June 2006 and will continue through to 2008. Possible future work for British Waterways will begin in 2008 on the Wyrley and Essington canal from Wolverhampton to Walsall. This work will be completed in 2010.
We have also developed a new programme to map and eradicate Japanese Knotweed around the Wolverhampton area which began in July 2007. This exercise will assist Wolverhampton Council to develop sites that are in need of clearing of the rampant weed.
During the last year Groundwork Black Country have operated three Land Apprentice Woodland Management teams each with four apprentices working alongside British Waterways staff across the waterways network as well as two teams undertaking improvements to the Wyrley and Essington canal around Wednesfield on behalf of British Waterways and Wolverhampton City Council.
The Canal Regeneration Project has been developed by Groundwork Black Country in partnership with British Waterways. The aim of the project is to train and develop local unemployed people across the Black Country to build their capacity and enhance their long term employment prospects, whilst undertaking physical environmental improvements to enhance the canal environment and disadvantaged communities.
This project will provide and promote physical improvements to the natural built environment. It will enhance the cultural heritage and landscape environment.
Training opportunities
During the trainee programme we look at previous training and establish career aspirations of trainees. An individual training plan is set up and relevant training courses are provided to develop training/experience and enhance their future job prospects.
All team members are immediately given training in Health & Safety, First Aid and Manual Handling. The aim of our Land Apprentice programme is to provide trainees with hands on experience and real projects that will benefit local communities.
Examples of training courses are: chainsaw license; spraying; CITB abbrasive wheel; brushwood strimmer/chipper; post and rail fencing; block paving, slabbing and kerb laying; basic bricklaying; tower scaffold; hedgelaying; site safety awareness and CSCS site card.
Our employment team also offers assistance with confidence building, job searching, interview techniques, self employment and enterprise support.
How we could help the Public and Private Sectors
We would like to establish links with organisations within construction and landscaping. The aim of which would be to provide you as an employer the opportunity to recruit from our Land Apprentices, trained as potential employees to fill any job vacancies that may occur.
Groundwork Black Country work alongside communities, public bodies, private companies and other voluntary sector charitable organisations to create and improve the local environment. Our vision is a society made up of sustainable communities which are vibrant, healthy and safe and which respect the local and global environment.
We work with partners to improve the lives of local people and the profitability of local businesses in areas that are in need of investment and support.
