He was once the apprentice himself – but now Mears boss Gary Lester is the one who gets to say “You’re hired!”
Mr Lester, who started his working life as an electrical apprentice in East Sussex, is looking for 15 apprentices to take on at the newly opened Brighton and Hove Housing Centre.
Mears is based at the housing centre as part of a ten-year contract to repair, maintain and improve the 12,400 council houses and flats in Brighton and Hove.
The apprenticeship programmes are in
- carpentry
- landscaping
- painting and decorating
- administration
- electrical
- plumbing
Mears is holding an open day at the housing centre, on the Fairway Trading Estate, in Eastergate Road, off Moulsecoomb Way, Brighton, next Wednesday (10 August) from 10am to 7pm.
The 15 who are hired will be expected to start their apprenticeships in the autumn.
They will be among 200 apprentices taken on by Mears during the life of its contract with Brighton and Hove City Council.
Mr Lester said that he was passionate about offering apprenticeships to young people, particularly those with few or no qualifications.
City College Brighton and Hove and C-Skills – also known as the Construction Industry Training Board – will be involved in the open day next week.
Donna Keenan, managing director of City College’s City Business Skills Department said: “Mears have shown their commitment to investing in the future of Brighton and Hove by training local people and providing job opportunities in the communities they serve.
“City College is proud to be working in partnership with the company to provide training for its apprentices.
“This event provides a fantastic opportunity for aspiring apprentices to come along and find out what opportunities are available to them.”
