House builder visits Petroc construction students in Barnstaple

Persimmon Homes has been inspiring the next generation of builders in at the Petroc College campus in Barnstaple.

Andy Wallis, Persimmon’s regional apprenticeships manager gave a talk to T-level students at the college on how the house builder is employing new construction techniques and discussed changes that are happening in the sector.

He also spoke about Persimmon’s multi-million pound investment in TopHat, a leading UK modular house builder, which Persimmon says will enable it to accelerate delivery of its factory-built, precision-engineered homes and marks a significant step forward in its development.

The business is seeking to support a placement at its headquarters in Exeter, from where some of the students hail.

A stone’s throw from the college’s Sticklepath campus, Persimmon has three and four-bed homes for sale from £269,995 at its Tawcroft 1690-home development in Barnstaple.

Andy Wallis said: “Speaking with college students is a significant part of my role at Persimmon, which is testament to our commitment to engaging with young people and creating future employment opportunities for future workers across the South West.

“It was a pleasure to visit Petroc College and discuss with students what the future of the industry holds for them, the value their work will provide society and the economy, and how Persimmon can be where they build their own careers.

“The class were very engaged and I am delighted the college would like us to come back in future.”

 Mark Lee, Petroc lecturer in plumbing and t-level building services engineering, added: “It was really good for the students to get a clearer understanding of where they can progress from their T-levels, as well as highlighting the way the construction industry is evolving.

“I don’t think many of the students were aware of how much the industry has changed and is changing, and I think this talk will have really opened the eyes of some students as to how much potential they have.

“We are very grateful to Persimmon for their visit and we will definitely be looking to repeat the experience for future cohorts of students.”