Council's Modern Apprentices happy to give back to the community

A group of more than 50 Modern Apprentices from Inverclyde Council have been working hard to give back to their community.

The apprentices took part in a six-week project volunteering in small groups to help out at Inverclyde Shed facilities in Greenock, Muirshiel Lane in Port Glasgow and Shore Street Gardens in Gourock.

They were involved in a variety of manual tasks including helping to rake leaves and create a no-mulch border in the George Wylie Memorial Garden, weeding, moving plants and general tidying and maintenance across each of the Shed sites.

Councillor Michael McCormick, convener of the council’s Environment and Regeneration committee, said: “The Modern Apprentices are an important part of the Inverclyde Council workforce, learning skills and gaining qualifications that will set them up for future employment opportunities.

“It’s great that they want to make a difference in their community and getting involved with The Shed was an ideal way for them to do that, working in small teams and thoroughly enjoying the experience.

“With Shed facilities in Greenock, Port Glasgow and Gourock, the apprentices were able to get involved across Inverclyde.

“The volunteering was also an opportunity for them to spend time together and do something for the wider community.”

George Nicholas, 26, from Port Glasgow is a horticulture apprentice who volunteered at the Gourock session. He said: “This was a great opportunity to give something back and I would love to do it again.”

Business Administration Modern Apprentice, Craig Milloy, 17, from Greenock said: “I really enjoyed the volunteer day. It was a good experience and felt good helping out. It was also great getting to meet some of the other apprentices.”

Inverclyde Council’s Modern Apprentice Programme provides people with the opportunity to learn new skills, achieve a nationally recognised qualification and enables them to earn as they learn within a range of vocational areas. 

The council works with a variety of training providers to ensure quality provision across a range of qualifications.

For more information on the council’s Modern Apprenticeship scheme, click on the link in the right hand column.