A Unite Union Learning Rep at Plymouth City Council has been helping apprentices grow their skills and gain full time jobs with the local authority.

Sam Quigley has been supporting apprentices across the council, including Josh Coomber and Jamie Lock, who have both recently moved from being Apprentice Gardeners in Plymouth Street Services team to jobs as Assistant Gardeners with council.

Both were interested in working in horticultural and gardening before landing the apprenticeships, and found the scheme a great way to gain skills and training, whilst earning a living. They started the same day and took a Work Based Diploma in Horticulture through Duchy College.

Plymouth City Council has a good record of offering apprentices opportunities to try things out beyond the scheme and has been a national or regional finalist in the Brathay Challenge, a search for the apprentice team of the year and supported by the National Apprenticeship Service.

Josh said:

I was looking at courses in Horticulture and saw one at Duchy College, which seemed ideal. The apprenticeship involved classes, but lots of practical work and training involving gardening. I like working outside and this is really what I wanted to do. Sam and the union have been very supportive, helping explain some of the paperwork and help with work issues if they come up. He also arranged for apprentices to have an extension and made sure we got extra training whilst on it - so both myself and Jamie now have a qualification to carry out health and safety inspections in playgrounds."

All gardening apprentices received a wide range of training including strimming, hedge cutting, pesticide use and brush cutters. Whilst on the scheme Josh won the Top Horticultural Apprentice Award from Duchy College for Devon and Cornwall.

Jamie found out about the job whilst working for a landscaping contractor doing work for the council, he said:

One of the managers told me about the apprenticeships at Plymouth City Council, I got the job and the council put me on the course. I joined the union as soon as I started work, basically my mum told me it was important, and I’ve found it useful - with Sam clearing up work issues or explaining things. I honestly think its due to Sam that we got the jobs after finishing the scheme."

Jamie is keen to progress his career and is looking to work with the tree surgeons, he is also considering become a Health & Safety rep with Unite.

During the apprenticeship we did some work with the tree gang - I’m really interested in tree work in future and am looking to gain a chainsaw certificate and climbing qualification."

Sam added:

It’s really important that unions support apprentices whilst they are on the scheme. This is when they need the most support - and its been good to help apprentices from across the council gain the skills they need to get a job. It also helps raise the unions profile at the council and recruit new members in the process - so its a win / win situation."