Pictured: Willmott Dixon's group of Birmingham based apprentices

A trio of adult learners working in Birmingham who have demonstrated commitment to learning and giving excellent service to the city's housing tenants have won top awards.

The tradespeople all received special awards for their dedication and enthusiasm in their work with Willmott Dixon Partnerships - Willmott Dixon Group's repair and maintenance specialist.

Willmott Dixon's apprentices received their accolades as it was announced that more than a million people aged between 16 and 24 are now jobless - the highest level since records began in 1992.

Electrical apprentice Luke Noble was honoured with a Special Achievement Award whilst father and son Rob Rumney Senior and Rob Rumney Junior both received the Lifelong Learning Award for their dedication.

They have been given the highest accolades at Willmott Dixon's annual Apprentice Awards, following recognition from both their colleges and work colleagues.

All three work on Willmott Dixon Partnership's contract to repair and maintain 36,000 homes in the south of Birmingham and have recently gained their NVQ Level 2. A company-wide judging panel chose them for the award because of their commitment to training and putting tenants' needs first.

21 year old Luke from the Selly Oak area, who has been training with Birmingham Electrical Training College, said, "I am really pleased to have received this sort of recognition so early on in my career and it is a huge honour. Willmott Dixon has supported me tremendously from day one on a professional and a personal level and I really appreciate the time they have invested in my training.

"I will be fully qualified next year and then I would like to work towards a renewable energy qualification because that is the future and I want to be fully equipped for advances in the industry. I think it is important to continue learning in a job, and Willmott Dixon definitely gives you the tools to do this." 

24 year old Robert Rumney Junior, from Hall Green, has worked for Willmott Dixon for five years after joining the company as a carpentry apprentice.

He said, "It seemed to be a lot easier to get an apprenticeship when I started looking for one than it is now. Originally I wanted to be a plumber, but Willmott Dixon didn't have a plumbing apprenticeship available. I was keen to work for the company so I decided to study carpentry instead and I'm glad that I decided not to pursue a plumbing qualification somewhere else.

"My dad has passed on some of his skills to me, and now I am mentoring an apprentice myself and passing those skills on. Willmott Dixon have provided me with training and encouraged me to put myself forward for the management training course too. This is definitely somewhere that I can see myself staying."

His father Rob Rumney Senior, age 53 and also from Hall Green, added, "I've been a plumber for more than 34 years, and the company has recently helped me to qualify as a multi skilled tradesperson. The industry is a lot harder to get into now than it used to be but Willmott Dixon is different. They push you to take more training and become an expert, which helps the company to be more competitive and keeps people in jobs.

"One of the highs of my role is seeing skills being passed down the generations and younger people building their futures. Apprentices are the future workforce of our company."

Other staff working to deliver services on behalf of Birmingham City Council in the north and south of the city were also honoured at the awards ceremony. They included six other trainee apprentices who have graduated as carpenters / joiners, plasterers or electricians.

Willmott Dixon Partnerships managing director, Mick Williamson said: "Our company is committed to lifelong learning and all of our staff are encouraged to undertake continuous development, no matter what stage they are in their career. In the recent economic climate many companies have turned away from vocational learning; but we have continued to recognise the value which such investment has for the long term, the success of our business and ultimately the organisations we are working with.

"We are very pleased with all of our apprentices' achievements, and hope that they feel as proud of themselves as we are of them. Everybody who has been recognised at the awards has already made a fantastic contribution to our business, and we hope that they will continue to grow in their learning."

Councillor John Lines, Birmingham City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, added, "We are delighted that so many people working on contracts in the city have been recognised by Willmott Dixon.

"We continue to work with Willmott Dixon to deliver property improvements to meet the promises we made to our tenants and knowing that we have such dedicated and capable people is excellent. On behalf of the Council I would like to congratulate them."

Willmott Dixon Group is one of the UK's largest privately-owned capital works, regeneration and support services companies.

With over 158 years of experience, the company provides services within the built environment to Government, registered social landlords, local authorities and private sector clients throughout the UK.

Willmott Dixon Partnerships works with social housing landlords, currently providing support services to over 100,000 homes, 1,200 public buildings and 50 commercial properties across the UK.