News: Morrison Academy receives mayor's seal of approval

The Mayor and Mayoress of Rotherham made a special visit to the Morrison Yorkshire Training Academy in Rotherham to meet some young apprentices who are currently studying there.

Officially opened last September by Morrison, which provides housing repairs and maintenance service to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, the Academy on Thames Street provides training for all of the company's apprentices in Yorkshire, currently around 40 students, as well as training initiatives for the local community.

The ten apprentices, who met with the Mayor and Mayoress, are all aged between 16 and 18 and are studying for their NVQ Level 2 in Maintenance Operations.

The Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Shaun Wright, said: "I very much enjoyed my first, but hopefully not last, visit to the Academy. Seeing first hand such a progressive learning environment, which genuinely helps young people build for the future, was fantastic; it really took me back to my days as an apprentice.

"Their enthusiasm was infectious and their work ethic was second-to-none. I'm certain that their commitment to work and to learning new skills will see them in good stead for future careers.

"I'd like to thank Morrison for introducing me to the apprentices and wish them the best of luck in the future."

Andy Wilson, account director for Morrison Rotherham added: "It is fantastic to welcome the Mayor and Mayoress to the Academy as part of the National Apprentice Week. All of our apprentices are very proud of their apprenticeships and events like today, give them an opportunity to demonstrate what they are learning.

"Our apprentice base is one of the largest in our sector in the region and we are fully committed to continuing our support of apprenticeships in Yorkshire, with 30 new apprentices set to join us this summer."

All of the apprentices who attend the Yorkshire Academy are recruited from the local area in which they work and have two year contracts with Morrison. Each apprentice has their own dedicated Morrison mentor to work with on-site four days a week, with one day a week spent at the Academy learning the theory side of their trades.

Morrison website

Images: morrisonplc.com