M&J Evans, one of the UK’s largest groundworks contractors, has launched the construction industry’s first bespoke groundworks apprentice programme, in partnership with the National House Building Council (NHBC).

The programme was launched at the National School and College Leavers Festival, which took place at the Birmingham NEC in November 2024 where M&J was an exhibitor. The programme has so far attracted wide interest with many signing up already.

Chris Southgate, CEO of M&J, commented: “We are incredibly passionate about developing the next generation of superstars in our industry. We created our apprentice programme to give us an opportunity to train and mentor new people entering the industry both in the vital skills and knowledge needed, but also in something we call the “M&J Way.” These are our guiding principles towards delivering the highest levels of quality, professionalism, and customer satisfaction.”

The programme is bespoke to M&J and is designed to give apprentices first-hand experience of what it is like to work on a live M&J site. The programme will be administered jointly by NHBC & M&J and will see successful candidates awarded a Level 2 Groundworks Contractor qualification upon completion.

Darryl Stewart, responsible for NHBC’s apprentice training programme and hubs, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with M&J to create a supply of talent for the housebuilding industry while making a positive impact on the lives of apprentices. Our nationwide network of NHBC Training Hubs offers a realistic work environment, expert trainers and are committed to developing top industry talent, ensuring apprentices are trained to meet NHBC Standards – the gold standard for quality in house building.

“Our intensive, fast-track training immerses apprentices in real site conditions from day one, equipping them fully for life on site. NHBC is shaking up housebuilding training with a £100 million investment in 12 new multi-skill training hubs across the UK, supporting over 3,000 apprenticeships a year. As our hubs will initially focus on key trades including groundwork, bricklaying, and site carpentry, we are delighted to collaborate with M&J Evans to help shape the future of the UK’s housebuilding industry.

The apprenticeship can take around 14-16 months to complete and will include a blend of on-the-job learning, classroom-based learning at the M&J training hub in the West Midlands and practical learning at the NHBC training hub. Each apprentice is assigned a mentor, giving them a go-to person to assist with both learning and personal support.

Judith Marriott, People Director at M&J, explained: “This is not just an apprenticeship, it’s not just a job – it’s the start of a career and the beginning of a journey as a member of the M&J family.”

Marriott continued, “To our clients, we are the Groundworks Partner of Choice. This is because when it comes to quality, service-levels, and client satisfaction; we always go above and beyond and the same is true for our apprentice programme. Our apprentice programme is bespoke to our business and stands out from similar programmes due to its level of detail. Not only will our apprentices become a qualified groundworker, but they will also be learning “the M&J Way,” finding out what makes us the best in the business and setting them up for a long and successful career.”

To find out more about the M&J Apprentice Programme, click here.