Dulux Academy Celebrates Apprentices in National Apprenticeship Week

Dulux Academy is proud to support National Apprenticeship Week for the third consecutive year.

This year’s theme National Apprentice Week is ‘Blaze a Trail’ which aims to showcase and celebrate the passion and energy that apprentices bring. Working across its college partners, Dulux Academy will actively involve and celebrate the passion of seventy-five apprentices in this year’s event as it takes its ‘Water-based Challenge’ on the road.

The challenge aims to educate and inform apprentices about the benefits of using water-based products and demonstrate the practical application tips and techniques which are required to create a fantastic finish.

Following a theory session, apprentices will each receive their own application accessories pack and take on a panelled door challenge using the Dulux Colour of the Year 2019, Spiced Honey, competing to be recognised as the individual winner of an exclusive National Apprenticeship Week Golden Paintbrush Award.

Vickie Mather from Dulux Academy says: “National Apprenticeship Week is an important date in our annual events calendar. The partnership between industry and education provides an opportunity to inspire apprentices, their employers, college tutors and the painting and decorating industry as a whole.

“We’ve outlined our commitments to the future of the decorating profession in our ‘Joint Minds Charter’ that our college partnerships have signed up to. This charter confirms the direct student benefits involved in partnering with Dulux Academy. To date we have delivered over 1,000 hours of supported learning to college students and apprentices demonstrating the joint commitment to upskilling the next generation of trade professionals.”

The week, which takes place from 4th-8th March, aims to shine a spotlight on apprenticeships as a great path for people at any stage of their career; from those starting out, to those wanting to reskill or change careers.

It comes at a time when the need for trade apprentices has never been greater, with a 34 per cent decline in painting and decorating qualifications being achieved through colleges. So it’s fitting that Dulux Academy has also recruited a new painting and decorating apprentice, Laura Ashby.

Laura is a career changer with a passion for interiors and decorating, she joins the team to gain practical experience alongside completing her formal qualification.

Laura says: “As a mature student, returning to college would be a big financial commitment so the opportunity to learn on the job from industry leaders was very appealing. The Dulux Academy Painting and Decorating apprenticeship will provide me with the chance to make the move into an industry I’ve always aspired to work in. I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible about something I have a real passion for from experts in the field.”

Vickie adds: “Laura is a great example of the benefits undertaking an apprenticeship can have, highlighting how the positive promotion of opportunities like this will attract new people to our industry. We look forward to creating more opportunities for apprentices via Dulux Academy in the future. This is an important step in our ongoing commitment to end the industry skills shortage.”

The full Dulux Academy ‘Water-based Challenge’ schedule is:

●      Monday 4th March – Bolton College
●      Tuesday 5th March – Lincoln College and Walsall College
●      Wednesday 6th March – Dulux Academy in Slough
●      Thursday 7th March – South Lanarkshire and Dulux Academy in Slough  
●      Friday 8th March – Leeds College of Building and Dulux Academy in Slough

Source : insight DIY Team and Dulux Academy

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