National Apprenticeship Week: Building skills and shaping futures at Allison Homes
National Apprenticeship Week (Monday 9th to Sunday 15th February) is a chance to celebrate the people and programmes helping to shape the future of UK construction. At Allison Homes, apprenticeships aren’t a bolt-on, they’re part of our culture and a key way we invest in future talent.
This year, we are sharing a video featuring voices from across our apprenticeship scheme, offering an insight into how young people are supported as they take their first steps into the industry.
In 2025, we welcomed six new bricklaying and carpentry apprentices from colleges across our Central and East regions.
Since launching our apprenticeship scheme in 2021, we have supported over 30 apprentices in various trades, with many progressing quickly, some completing their courses early, and others going on to receive national recognition. For the teams involved, the scheme has never been about filling roles, it’s about setting young talent up for the long term.
Mentoring as part of the culture
For our Build Director, Michele Raucci, the strength of the scheme comes back to mentoring and lived experience.
He explained: “Apprenticeships have always been part of the Allison culture. We’ve all been mentored and were trainees once upon a time, and now it’s our time to mentor back and draw on our experience. An apprenticeship is not just about learning skills so you can go and do a job. It’s a mentorship to make you a better person, and it’s our job to push that.”
Finding confidence on site
That sense of support comes through strongly when listening to the experiences of the four Year 1 apprentices currently working across our developments.
For Thomas Sanders, a Level 2 bricklaying apprentice at Chapel Gate in Moulton Chapel, confidence has been the biggest change. He said: “I was never really good at speaking to people, but being on site and speaking to people every day has helped my social skills. I can talk a lot more confidently now.
“From the first day, everyone was very welcoming. There wasn’t any awkwardness and I was involved straight away. If I have a problem, Allison Homes will try and help, and if they can’t help straight away they’ll tell me how to go about it.”
Leoni McDougall, a Level 2 bricklaying apprentice at Upwell Road in March, explained how the reward comes from seeing something tangible take shape: “Building houses is really rewarding. You gain a lot of knowledge, and you take a lot more pride in your work.”
She also talked about the importance of day-to-day support, particularly when balancing site work with college requirements: “Everyone at Allison Homes seems lovely, they help you with anything. My site manager John is always there to help, including with my One File work which is part of my course, and he always takes the time to go through things with me.”
Learning faster by doing
For carpentry apprentices George Houghton and Ben Gallagher, both based at Beaufort Gardens in Market Deeping, learning on site has changed how they view their careers.
George went into carpentry after enjoying GCSE woodwork, before moving into an apprenticeship where learning became more practical and hands-on. He said: “The apprenticeship is even better than college and it just keeps getting better and better. When you’re actually on site, you realise you can learn more in a day than you probably would in a year at college.”
Ben commented: “When I started, I was trying to think too far ahead and worrying about things I didn’t need to yet. You get your little jobs, you get good at them, then you unlock more things. You keep improving and taking pride in your work.”
Watching experienced tradespeople has also shaped Ben’s outlook. He added: “Seeing how efficient the people I work with are makes me want to do a good job. I always wanted a job I actually enjoyed, not something I was just doing to earn money.”
Across all four of our apprentices’ stories, the same feeling comes through. Everyone is welcoming and willing to help, and show apprentices that they can speak to anyone and start to see where their lives and careers could go next.
Working with education partners
We have a long-standing relationship with colleges within Inspire Education Group, including Stamford College and Peterborough College. Through this partnership, apprentices combine structured learning with real, on-site experience. We are also a proud sponsor of Stamford College’s Modern Methods of Construction Centre, which helps ensure training reflects the realities of modern housebuilding.
Selecting future apprentices
Giving young people the chance to understand what an apprenticeship with Allison Homes really looks like is a key part of the process. Our first apprentice selection day, hosted at the Peterborough head office in April 2025, allowed candidates to tour the office, meet the team and ask honest questions about the business and our values. Following its success, the next selection day is already being planned for this April.
Recognising progress and potential
Over recent years, the impact of the apprenticeship scheme has also been recognised externally. In 2023, former apprentice Leland Moore was shortlisted for Construction Apprentice of the Year at the Peterborough Telegraph Apprenticeship Awards, and we also received a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate for Large Apprentice Employer of the Year.
In 2025, Allison Homes was named winner of the SME Employer Award at the Peterborough Telegraph Apprenticeship Awards, recognising the strength and long-term impact of its apprenticeship programme.
Another former apprentice, Jacob Kelk, went on to win the Construction Apprentice award in 2024, before being selected to represent the UK at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai in 2025.
For Michele, this recognition is encouraging, but the focus remains on people. His advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship is simple and direct: “Jump in with both feet. Apply, come and speak to us, have a go. We’re open in the way we operate and we want people to feel supported from the very start.”
By putting time, trust and care into young people at the start of their careers, we’re helping to build not just homes, but confident and capable futures.
Allison Homes Web Article: 10th February 2026
