One of the most senior members of staff at Keepmoat, the national housebuilder, has been setting an example for young apprentices at the firm by talking with them about how he rose from being apprentice to being a senior executive.
Sean Corcoran began his career some 25 years ago as an apprentice joiner and became part of the team at Keepmoat, one of the country’s biggest housing developers, in 1997. He recently went ‘back to the floor’ to work with apprentices on an eco-refurbishment scheme in Leeds to show them just what is possible for them once they have finished their apprenticeships.
Mr Corcoran now oversees a number of multi-million pound contracts for the firm, focusing on development and regeneration in the Yorkshire region. During his on-site visit he engaged with a number of the current apprentice joiners on the project. They are currently working on delivering external wall insulation as part of the Government’s Green Deal Demonstrator project, working with Leeds City Council.
“It really took me back and made me realise how far I’ve come in the three decades since setting out on my career,” he said following the visit. “I hope I was able to show the apprentices who are just starting out that this is just the beginning for them. An apprenticeship can be a stepping stone to a long and rewarding career.”
He added, “Keepmoat has a strong commitment to training the construction professionals of tomorrow through its comprehensive apprenticeship schemes and my visit to Leeds was an opportunity to see evidence of that commitment first hand.”