Centenary Apprenticeship Challenge

Apprentices from City College Plymouth have been working at Ford Park Cemetery as part of the National Apprenticeship Service Centenary Apprenticeship Challenge.

The Centenary Apprenticeship Challenge provides young people the unique opportunity to commemorate the 100 years since the start of World War One by working with their local communities to acquire and showcase the broad set of work skills that are valuable and relevant today.

The team, which consists of ten apprentices from Babcock International Group plc and five from Princess Yachts International, are currently working at Ford Park Cemetery to restore the area around war graves. The apprentices’ employers have nominated them to get involved in the challenge to promote community involvement.

Ford Park Cemetery is a 34-acre site in the heart of Plymouth which is run by the Ford Park Cemetery Trust. The Trust employs three members of staff to maintain the site, however due to the sheer size of the Cemetery many areas are unattended for large periods of time.

Training Officer at City College Plymouth, Emma Pindard, said: “The apprentices have been doing a fantastic job restoring the graves by removing ivy and clearing ground around the graves.

“Last week two apprentices uncovered a four to five foot cross and a grave containing five members of the same family, which was unrecognisable under a mound of ground and ivy!”

If you would like to find out about Apprenticeships vacancies on offer at the College, come along to the  Apprenticeships Jobs Drop-In event on Wednesday 4 June between 4pm and 6pm at Kings Road.