An apprentice carpenter from Solihull College & University Centre is following in his granddad’s footsteps to establish a career working with timber.
Niall Quinney, 18, from Sheldon has been studying at the College on a NVQ Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship. Niall joined housebuilder Persimmon Homes Central in May 2019 and will soon complete his programme.
Niall attends Solihull College & University Centre one day per week, with the rest of his time out on site. He comments “I’m at Paragon Park in Coventry at the moment, which is my third development. I’m really enjoying the work and learning lots of new skills from everyone here.”
Elliot O’Sullivan, Site Manager at Paragon Park and Niall’s line manager said: “We’ve been able to give Niall the opportunity to work on a wide range of carpentry jobs including working with timber framing, trusses, 1st and 2nd fix, and he’s done really well.”
Elliot himself is a former apprentice so knows the benefits of the scheme: “When I was 17 I was an apprentice bricklayer, so I know how successful an apprenticeship is at steering a young person in the right direction. It has certainly worked for Niall who will soon be able to choose which area of carpentry he focuses on. He’s been a really good apprentice for Persimmon; he’s got on and done the job and any tasks I have set him has completed to a good standard.”
During his days at college Niall studies the knowledge, skills and behaviours as set out within the apprenticeship standard. These include health, safety & welfare, use of hand tools and power tools, measuring, marking out, fitting, cutting and splicing, and forming joints such as dovetail, comb and mortice and tenon.
Niall added: “I hope one day to have my own business in the trade, so the skills I learn today will be really useful to me in the future.”
