Award-winning local scheme builds high praise in Assembly

AN unique Carmarthenshire apprenticeship scheme has been praised by the Assembly First Minister after winning two prestigious awards at the National Training Awards 2010.
Today in the National Assembly for Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones joined local AM Joyce Watson AM in praising the scheme, as the Carmarthenshire Construction Training Association’s Shared Apprenticeship Scheme celebrated winning both Wales and UK National Training awards.
The scheme, which has received funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, offers young people the chance to gain experience at microbusinesses across Carmarthenshire. They work at a range of placements, allowing more businesses to get involved and giving the apprentices a wider variety of experience.
Labour Assembly Member for Carmarthenshire Joyce Watson AM, who recently marked the project’s progress at an event at Parc y Scarlets, also praised the tutors and businesses which have embraced the scheme’s aims of offering opportunities to young people.
Mrs Watson said:
“This is a scheme which is leading Wales, and its effectiveness has been recognised with these two awards. I congratulate everyone involved in the scheme, particularly the young people who have worked so hard to gain qualifications and experience.
“ConstructionSkills, Coleg Sir Gâr and Carmarthenshire County Council have worked together to make this scheme possible, and 80 young people have now been employed, which is fantastic.
“One apprentice who has cystic fibrosis is going on to further education to become an architect, which shows the difference the scheme has made. I am not at all surprised that the scheme has won these prestigious awards, as every apprentice has found employment.”
For further details about Joyce Watson’s access to construction work click on http://www.womeninconstruction.co.uk/, or to contact her click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.