In a town built on graft, Rochdale’s Jackson Jackson & Sons Ltd is proving that apprenticeships aren’t just for the future, they’re very much the present.
The family-run construction firm, which has been slinging bricks and restoring rooftops for over 35 years, opened its doors this week to local MP Paul Waugh for a look at how it’s shaping the next generation of site legends. The visit was part of a growing push to celebrate how apprenticeships are helping local people land careers with real staying power, and power tools.
Waugh, clearly impressed, said: “Jackson Jackson is a brilliant local firm and it’s great to see Lloyds and GMCA backing their passion for apprenticeships. It was inspiring to meet so many youngsters gaining independence and opportunity through a proper Rochdale company.”
And he’s not just laying it on with a trowel. Since 2022, 13 apprentices have joined Jackson Jackson through the Greater Manchester Levy Matchmaking Service, which works a bit like corporate Tinder, but for apprenticeships. Big businesses donate unused apprenticeship levy funds to smaller firms who actually want to use them.
Carrie Wilkinson, who joined two years ago, is the poster child for the scheme’s success, quite literally. Named SME Apprentice of the Year, she’s smashed her site carpentry and joinery Level 2 while working on real-life renovation projects. You know, the kind where you end the day with sawdust in your socks and a sense of purpose.
Managing director Kieren McDonnell put it best: “The apprentices of today may well be the industry leaders of tomorrow. Investing in them now is crucial if we’re to future-proof the construction sector, and our own business.”
Also chuffed: Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s Mayor and unofficial cheerleader-in-chief for apprenticeships. “This is exactly what we mean when we say we want a line of sight to a good job for every young person,” he said.
With Rochdale still battling for its economic bounce-back, stories like these, of young people building real careers, and local firms nurturing home-grown talent, are more than good PR. They’re a reminder: we’ve still got what it takes to build something solid.
