His Royal Highness The Duke of York Visits Leeds College of Building
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The Duke of York visited Leeds College of Building this week to meet students and urge SMEs to take on apprentices, which coincided with National Apprenticeship Week.
The Duke also unveiled the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Apprenticeship Challenge during a speech to SMEs. His Royal Highness told the audience that businesses can inspire young people by giving them a chance to develop and take pride in a skill, adding that has wider benefits for communities. He said that young people cannot gain experience and work skills if businesses are not prepared to offer that opportunity in the first place, and challenged employers to take on an apprentice.
The Duke said: "An apprenticeship is the start of the beginning of a career. I hope that the Leeds City Region Challenge can be fulfilled and that the momentum that has already started will continue."
At Leeds College of Building's Stourton site, His Royal Highness met apprentices, students and local dignitaries, toured the main construction workshop and unveiled a commemorative plaque.
Leeds College of Building is the only specialist further and higher education construction college in the UK with 7,500 students and more than 900 apprentices. The college offers 23 different apprenticeships including brickwork, surveying, plumbing, civil engineering and facilities management.
Leeds College of Building is a lead partner in the national development of a Higher Apprenticeship in Construction and the Built Environment, an alternative route for employers and students to the traditional university and degree pathway. Since the project began two years-ago there are now 20 colleges nationally supporting it. Twenty one of the current 183 apprentices studying the qualification are at Leeds College of Building.
Ian Billyard, Principal of Leeds College of Building, said: "We are delighted that His Royal Highness could join us. The Duke has a passion for apprenticeships and the construction and engineering sector, and that clearly showed when he was speaking with our apprentices, students and staff."
Gareth Davies, 22, a higher apprentice at Leeds College of Building, said: “It was great to meet His Royal Highness. I am really enjoying the higher apprenticeship course. It offers the best of both worlds. I can study towards an academic qualification and be employed in a full-time role!"
Ashley Campbell, 18, a higher apprentice at Leeds College of Building, added: “It’s not every day that you get to meet The Duke. The higher apprenticeship course is giving me so many opportunities to develop my career prospects. It is fantastic that we can highlight the benefits and raise the profile of apprenticeships through a Royal visit."