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We are thrilled to share the news of our recent membership in the prestigious 5% Club. This significant step forward aligns perfectly with our ongoing efforts to cultivate and invest in the future talents of the construction industry. As a contractor based in Middlesbrough and Yorkshire, we are dedicated to playing a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of skilled professionals.

The 5% Club is an influential and dynamic employer-led initiative, aimed at fostering a flourishing UK economy through extensive ‘earn and learn’ opportunities. As a new member, we have pledged that within five years, 5% of our workforce across our group of businesses will be engaged in apprenticeships, sponsored student programmes, or formalised training schemes. This commitment is a reflection of our strategic vision to nurture and support the upcoming generation of construction experts.

Our recent accolade as the 4th best SME Apprentice Employer in the UK in 2022 is a testament to our long-standing commitment to apprenticeship and training programmes. Joining the 5% Club is a natural progression of our commitment, further enhancing our role as a leader in innovation and growth within the construction sector.

Andy Ray, our Group Operations Director, expresses his excitement about this new venture, stating, “Joining the 5% Club marks a significant milestone in our journey towards empowering young talent. It’s not just about fulfilling a quota; it’s about nurturing a skilled, diverse, and dynamic workforce capable of propelling our industry forward. We are excited to embark on this path and look forward to making a substantial impact in the lives of our future professionals.”

In line with our commitment to the 5% Club, we will be providing transparent reports on our progress in our Annual Report or equivalent documents. This will ensure accountability and visibility of our efforts in advancing skills development.

This initiative is not just about business growth; it’s about contributing to the broader economic prosperity of our region. It is an embodiment of our commitment to driving sustainable growth and innovation within the UK construction sector.

To learn more about the 5% Club, please visit https://www.5percentclub.org.uk/

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We are proud to announce our recent investment in the Red Sky Foundation by installing defibrillators across our offices in Middlesbrough and Wakefield. As a group comprising ZTL Contracting, AD Plant Hire, Applebridge Construction, Applebridge Utilities, Applebridge Building Services, and Retaining UK, we are committed to making a positive impact on our communities.

This decision was motivated by a personal experience that hit close to home for our Managing Director, Chris Brown. When his friend Oliver Williams suffered a cardiac arrest while out jogging, Chris realized the critical importance of having defibrillators readily available. Despite Oliver’s peak fitness, his life was saved thanks to the quick response of off-duty police officers who provided medical assistance until paramedics arrived with a defibrillator.

The Red Sky Foundation, a registered charity, has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about the necessity of defibrillators. We are delighted to support their cause by installing defibrillators at our offices in Middlesbrough, Wakefield, and Imperial Park.

Founded by Sergio and Emma Petrucci, the Red Sky Foundation obtained full charitable status in 2020 as a way to express gratitude to the heart unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. The foundation has since raised over £950,000 to provide state-of-the-art machinery for treating heart conditions in babies, children, and adults across the North East and the wider UK. Sergio and Emma, recently honored with MBEs, continue their efforts to raise awareness and save lives.

Defibrillators are crucial life-saving devices that can treat cardiac arrest effectively. Every minute that passes without urgent CPR and defibrillation decreases the chances of survival by 7-10%. That is why having defibrillators available in public places, such as schools, workplaces, and gyms, is paramount. The Red Sky Foundation offers free training on their website (redskyfoundation.com) for anyone interested in learning how to use a defibrillator in just 15 minutes.

As part of the Applebridge Family, we are dedicated to making a positive impact on our communities and prioritizing the well-being of those around us. Our investment in defibrillators is just one way we contribute to the greater good. Together, we can create safer environments and save lives. Stay tuned for more updates on our initiatives and contributions as we continue to work towards building a better future.

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We welcome you to the second edition of the Applebridge Family Newsletter!

A lot has changed since our maiden publication in 2021, Join us in our second edition as we celebrate successes, showcase projects and inform you of our future developments.

The 2022 edition has updates from across the Family including;

Staff Growth and Group Development.

Learn how the group has grown and developed over the last 12 months expanding in both size and capabilities.

Read now….

Latest Case Studies From Across the Group.

Keep up-to date on sites from across the Applebridge group divisions.

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Investment in Machinery and Production.

Learn about our new production facility in Hartlepool and we the team that keep the production line going.

Read now…

Applebridge Academy

‘Engineering the Foudations of Tomorrow, Today!’ – Learn about the Applebridge Academy, what it does, and how you can be involved.

Read now…

Awards and Charity

Read about our Charity of the Year fundraising efforts aswell as the awards we picked up over the last year.

Read now….

To download and read the latest edition click on the button below!

Download PDF

We are delighted to be able to share this with you and would welcome any feedback or comments to marketing@applebridge.com

Enjoy reading!

The Applebridge Family

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Now a full-time Applebridge employee, Jack Hall is the first of Applebridge’s Academy apprentices to have successfully completed the recently established apprenticeship standard.

Approved for Bricklaying in 2018, the new standard is starting to see its first cohort of apprentices take on the assessment (with courses taking 2-4 years to complete). The Standard was introduced as part of the Government’s major apprenticeship reforms and represents a shift from assessing to learning placing employers in control.

The standards include a variety of changes to the original SASE framework such as 20% off-the-job training, progress weighting and end-point assessment (EPA).

The end-point-assessment represents a critical new stage to the apprenticeship and consists of;

Skills knowledge test – which includes 60 minutes multiple-choice test consisting of 40 questions based on the knowledge apprentices have gained.

Practical Skills test – A 12-hour timed test that requires apprentices to complete a task by following an approved drawing, schedule and using other information such as risk assessments, method statements etc, and includes 20 minutes of questioning.

Oral Questioning – underpinned by Portfolio evidence: a 35-minute question and answer session, based on the skills and behaviours.

For Apprenticeships in Bricklaying the standard is still in its infancy, and is setting the bar high. With low pass rates across the UK it can be considered a great achievement for both Jack and the Academy, Applebridge Academy Manager Greg Chapman comments:

“With the current 2020/21 apprenticeship achievement rates for standards sitting at only 51.8%, this is a fantastic achievement from Jack. Jack has done an amazing job throughout his apprenticeship.”

With the construction sector continuing to struggle to attract new talent, the success of both Jack and the Academy is a reaffirmation of the company’s commitment to finding, nurturing, and developing the best new construction talent in the region, moulding the next generation of construction.

“We are proud of Jack’s commitment to the apprenticeship, and it was only natural for us to offer him a full-time position with Applebridge construction upon the conclusion of his apprenticeship. The Academy apprenticeship route continues to be an ideal way to introduce new talent into Applebridge, with many of our new starters going through the Apprenticeship route, it is an area in which we are finding essential to Applebridge’s growth and we are committed to investing and developing the Academy along this path. ” Applebridge Group Operations Director – Andy Ray

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The Applebridge Family & Applebridge Academy are delighted to announce that Applebridge Construction Ltd have been Ranked number 4 in the country for the new 2022 Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employer rankings.

The rankings recognise employers for their commitment to employing apprentices, their creation of new apprenticeships, the diversity of their new apprentices, and the number of apprentices who completed their apprenticeships and progress further with the employer.

The goal of the Applebridge Academy is to work across the Family group to recruit, educate & support the development of new and existing staff members with the aim to provide a facility and support structure to recruit the next generation of Applebridge.

The Applebridge Family invests heavily in apprenticeships across the group and we would like to thank our very own Applebridge Academy for supporting the development of new and existing staff, our College, Training providers, and University partners who we work alongside on achieving such a great recognition.

Applebridge is ‘engineering the foundations of tomorrow, today.’

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