Matthew, who lives
in Middleton, said: “I went to university in Huddersfield to study Business and
Entrepreneurship but didn’t like it so I left and since then had just been
working on various sites doing fire protection.
“What I was
doing at uni was really office based and the site work was obviously manual but
I wanted to do something that included a bit of both and included different
things
“I saw the Bury
training site apprenticeship on a job site online and went for it – and I am
really enjoying it so far. I get to do a bit of everything and it’s different
to anything I’ve done before – so it’s perfect.”
Matthew’s
apprenticeship – the first in a number of opportunities for young people that
will be available as part of the project – is being run by the Greater Manchester
Chamber of Commerce Group Training Association (GTA) in partnership with Kier
and GMFRS.
A number of
other apprenticeships will be created as part of the project in trades such as
bricklaying, plastering and joinery.
Matthew
continued: “I’ve seen the 3D fly-through of what the site will look like and I
think it’s going to be amazing. I’ve been on a lot of building sites up and
down the country since I was 17 and this is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
“The
site will have so many different scenarios for training and for the community
to see what the fire service does and learn about safety. I
think it’s brilliant – I’m really proud to be involved and I can’t wait to see
what it’s like when it’s finished.”
Chairman of
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said:
“I’d like to welcome Matthew on board and wish him the best of luck in his
apprenticeship journey with Kier in conjunction with GMFRS and the GTA.
“I
think it’s fantastic that so many young people from Bury and surrounding areas
will have the chance to work on such an exciting project, learn vital skills
and gain lots of fantastic experience.”
