The FMB is championing the next generation through the Apprentice of the Year category in its prestigious Master Builder Awards. Professional Builder’s Lee Jones talks to the most recent recipient of the accolade, Luke Emery.
“A natural talent” is how his colleagues have described 2021 Federation of Master Builders’ Apprentice of the Year, Luke Emery, and added to that is a level of eloquence and maturity that does credit to him and his profession. Indeed, in his burgeoning career teachers, clients and employers alike have described the County Tryrone-based joiner as a pleasure to teach and a highly valued member of the team.
The 21-year-old began his career in 2017, and the tender age of 17, and now holds an NVQ Level 2 in Woods Occupations and NVQ Level 3 in Site Carpentry, obtained through South West College, Omagh, and has now moved on to a Level 4 Foundation Degree in Construction Engineering. It was, however, more home-grown experiences that would inspire Luke to take up the tools.
The building game is nothing if not a family affair and Luke was exposed to a positive image of the industry from an early age. His father plied his own trade for Northern Ireland-based Lowry Building & Civil Engineering – whilst his aunt was also employed by the business – and Luke began and continues his career with the very same firm.
That’s a background that has been integral to his development, as Luke explains: “The industry is not very well advertised as an attractive destination for young people but, having relatives who had a very good living from it, I could see the potential for me personally.”
People business
So just what appeals about the life of a carpenter and joiner? “The most satisfying aspect for me is the impact we can have on people’s lives, whether that’s setting them up in a newly built home or creating something for a local community. Being able to look back at a finished product that you’ve made from start to finish is very fulfilling.”
Luke was specifically singled out from praise from his employer for his willingness to take on and learn new skills. “I’m a carpenter but if was going to progress I recognised that I would have to go out of that job description,” he reveals. “There are so many transferable skills across all of the trades and apprentices shouldn’t be afraid to take them on. Knowing what a plasterer needs from you when you’re setting a doorframe, for example, is going to make for a better build.”
That’s an attitude that is exemplified with the additional training courses he has committed to, including Emergency First Aid, Water Hygiene Training, COSHH, Risk Assessment & Method Statements, and more, and Luke has now worked on everything from residential and commercial new builds, to infrastructure and utilities projects.
The 21-year-old’s highlight away from the tools is undoubtedly the day he was rewarded with the FMB’s Apprentice of the Year accolade, whilst in his fledgling career he’s already made some significant contributions to prestigious jobs. At the Dark Sky Park and Observatory in Cookstown, for example, Luke was tasked with making and installing birch plywood fins along the feature walls of a corridor. “It’s that kind of bespoke that really excites you but in general I am very happy in my work.”
Communication
Luke was also singled out for his first-class communication skills: “Whether it’s with a client and colleagues, you need to be honest, clear and concise. There’s no room for ambiguity on site – and there should be every room for meaningful dialogue. You want the trades that proceed and follow on from you to understand the joinery aspect of the job, and the client to know what’s going on.”
As a passionate advocate of the built environment sector we asked Luke what he would say to other young people for whom construction as a career path does not appear on their radar? “I don’t think there is an industry that is as important as construction,” he enthuses. “From housing to infrastructure, it’s the foundation and backbone of everything we rely on as a society. If you go into it with that mindset, then you can be very proud of what you do. I would urge any young person to give it a go.”
“Promoting alternative routes to an academic one should start at a much earlier age,” Luke concludes “but in my experience – even for school leavers – there’s very little said about apprenticeships in general. That’s something that needs to change. Hopefully the award will give me the opportunity in the future to share my own thoughts and experience so we can have positive policy change. It’s a fantastic, forward-thinking sector that drives innovation and creativity and that’s a reality that needs to be reinforced.”
For further information on the Master Builder of the Year Awards visit https://www.fmb.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/master-builder-awards.html
For further information on the FMB’s Trailblazer Group visit
General Builder Qualification (GBQ)
Small building firms need multi-taskers who can fulfil a number of roles and that’s the driving force behind the introduction of a General Builder Qualification (GBQ) standard. Currently under development by the FMB’s Trailblazer Group, the body’s chair, Annie Summun, explains more: “The advantage of the GBQ is that you’d have someone trained at a fundamental or foundational skill level in four trades: bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, and painting and decorating,”
Annie is also Director of Public Affairs at FMB member company, Kiesel Group and is well versed in the recruitment requirements of small and medium-sized businesses. “It will improve productivity on a site as one person would be able to lay the bricks for the wall, plaster it and then paint it.”
Annie also believes that a workforce with a range of skills would be better equipped to address the retrofit challenges that the industry will face if we are to achieve the Government’s net zero targets by 2050: “Retrofit is going to be a big thing in construction in the next 20 years. So, we want those who complete this apprenticeship not only to learn the skills, but to understand the context of how they fit into the industry, to understand a bit about the history of buildings and how houses are constructed because they might be doing a refurbishment or an extension on a house from the 1930s or older, or a more modern house.”
