MP Anna Soubry visited Fairgrove Homes’ redevelopment of a former brewery and discovered how the housebuilder is investing in the future.
Conservative MP for Broxtowe, Anna Soubry, has learned how Derbyshire-based house builder Fairgrove Homes is investing in the future talent of the building trade during a visit to its redevelopment of a former brewery at Kimberley in Nottinghamshire.
Ms Soubry visited Fairgrove’s Hanson’s View development on the site of the old Kimberley Brewery and met six new apprentices that have recently joined Fairgrove across multiple trades.
These six new apprentices will be spread across bricklaying and joinery and follows recent success with a number of trainees completing apprenticeships for the company. One apprentice, Jordan Haywood, won Apprentice of the Year last year while studying at Webs Training College.
The new-starters will be joining Fairgrove’s current team in redeveloping Hanson’s View in Kimberley – creating a development of characterful refurbished old properties and stylish contemporary new homes on this currently run-down site.
“It is a credit to Fairgrove Homes to be investing in the future so heavily and hiring apprentices within the building trade,” said Ms Soubry. “Meeting the skills shortage and continuing to build quality new homes is crucial in order to meet demand, and I am delighted to see Fairgrove Homes is tackling this issue head on,” she added.
“Fairgrove has been in business for 22 years and for the majority of that time, like similar businesses to ours, we have largely worked with subcontractors,” explains Fairgrove MD and East Midlands Chamber of Commerce board member, Steve Midgley. He continued, “There is a national skills shortage within certain trades, and as a company we’re keen to develop trainee programmes in key areas with large shortfalls in order to create a skilled in-house workforce.”
