Meet the Beal Homes apprentices building the foundations for a bright future

Running from February 5^th to 11^th, National Apprenticeship Week recognises the remarkable contribution apprentices make to businesses in all sectors.

This year’s theme is “Skills for Life” – recognising the strong foundations which can be laid through an apprenticeship, helping set young people up for successful careers.

Beal apprentices can be found working in a broad range of roles at the East Yorkshire-based business – from construction, to sales and administration.

Here, three current apprentices – and one former apprentice who has risen through the ranks to become the company’s Procurement Manager – talk about their experiences working with the family-owned housebuilder.

Yasmin Wiley, 19, Apprentice Office Administrator

I’ve grown up in Hull and went to Kelvin Hall School. One thing you need to know about me is that I’ve always got to be doing something – I can’t sit down for long! Luckily, being an office administrator at Beal, there’s always something that needs doing!

I first saw this role advertised online and thought it looked a really good fit for me. I’d been interested in working in the housebuilding or estate agency industry for a while and I was familiar with Beal Homes already.

It’s been almost a year since I joined Beal and everyone has been so welcoming and supportive. No two days are the same, which is one of the things I love most about what I do.

Alongside the usual day to day office responsibilities, I also help to coordinate with the different site teams, speak to customers visiting our head office and support some of Beal’s events and show home launches.

I’ve enjoyed getting an insight into all different parts of the business. It’s given me a better understanding of how Beal works and how all the different departments come together.

I like to think my future is right here with Beal Homes. Apprenticeships are a brilliant way to learn and work while you’re training. It means you can get started on your career early and I’d recommend it to anyone considering that path.

Erin Symons, 17, Apprentice Joiner

I went down the joinery route largely because of family – my dad’s a joiner and it was always something that interested me.

I’m from Hull and went to Malet Lambert School. Once I’d finished there, I started emailing and applying for jobs with lots of different companies. Beal Homes responded really quickly and I was lucky enough to be offered the role after an interview.

I’m coming up to 18 months into my two-year apprenticeship with Beal and the training provider, Hull Training and Adult Education.

In that time, I’ve worked on several developments – I’m currently at Turpin’s Chase in Welton, but I’ve also worked at The Greenways in Goole, Thonock Vale in Gainsborough and Holderness Chase in Preston.

I’m very aware that being a female joiner in the construction industry isn’t the most common thing, but my message to anyone considering it would be to do what makes you happy.

Everyone at Beal has been really helpful and supportive and it’s the people that make the company such a great place to work.

Finlay Derrick, 17, Apprentice Bricklayer

Before I joined I already knew someone who worked at Beal Homes, so I knew it was a well-run company full of good people.

I’m from Hull and went to Kelvin Hall School and, while I was there, we had a visit to East Riding College in Beverley to look at different career opportunities. I was interested in bricklaying and that’s where it all started.

I’ve been at Beal since last October. I spend five weeks on site working at the Holderness Chase development in Preston and then one week back at Hull Training and Adult Education learning the theory side.

I’ve really enjoyed it at Beal so far. I’m working with some really good people who have been so helpful since I joined.

My advice to people considering an apprenticeship is do it, give it a go. It’s a really good way to learn and work at the same time. I’m glad I made the decision I did.

Tara Martin, former Apprentice, now Procurement Manager

I first joined Beal 23 years ago as an apprentice doing general administration work. At that time, our office was on Towerhouse Lane off Hedon Road in east Hull and Beal was only selling around 60 homes a year. I think the whole office team was about 11 people!

When I left school, I signed up to a recruitment agency who got me the interview with Beal. Once I started working at Beal, I was doing an NVQ in Customer Service and Business Management. I did that for three years and then moved into the technical side of the business.

Coming into a business aged 16 definitely brought me along quickly. I had to be professional, and, with some of my work being front-of-house dealing with customers, my communication skills developed too.

My advice to young people today would be to consider an apprenticeship if you think it’s right for you. It gives you work experience alongside education at an early stage in your career, and gives you a head start on a lot of people who go through university or further education.

Today I’m Beal’s Procurement Manager, with a focus on new product innovation. Energy efficiency forms a big part of that, looking at the way our homes are heated and preparing for the Future Homes Standard which comes in next year.

We’re definitely seeing buyers are so much more aware of the environmental impact of their home. They want products which are made from recycled or sustainable materials and they’re thinking more about heat pumps instead of gas boilers.