Majid Bashir,

20-year-old Majid decided during his time at school that he would like to enter the construction industry. As well as working outdoors and on a variety of projects, Majid has an ambition to one day build a house for himself.

Majid has decided to enter the industry as a bricklayer through the ConstructionSkills Programme Led Apprenticeship (PLA) initiative. The course begins with a full time college placement and then is completed with an on-site placement of nine to 12 months. Majid attended Bradford College for three years, gaining his Intermediate Construction Award (ICA) and completing the Health and Safety Test required to work on-site. He is now working towards gaining towards gaining his NVQ 2 to complete his Apprenticeship Framework.

Majid is fulfilling his placement at Barratt Homes, and feels that the experience that he has gained on-site has been highly beneficial in allowing him to develop his practical skills.

It has given me more opportunity to practice the skills that I learned whilst at college," says Majid. "I can now lay bricks faster and with more confidence. There is also a lot of variety and I enjoy the physical, hands-on aspects of my work.

Majid also feels that his full time study gave him a basic understanding of the trade and was useful in providing him with necessary qualifications to allow him to work on-site. Majid commented:

College was a very good starting point for me. It gave me a basic knowledge of the skills required and I gained some qualifications to help me work on-site.

Majid heard about the scheme through Bradford College and then attended an interview with Barratt Homes to secure his position. The process was made simple for him and he has been allocated a placement that is close to home and easy to travel to.

I would definitely recommend the PLA as a good way to get into brickwork," he says. "The mixture of college and on-site placement is useful as you gain grounding and qualifications and you can then build up your skills on a real project. I am looking forward to learning more and gaining further qualifications. Construction is a great career and I hope one day to be able to build a house I can live in.

Majid is due to finish his PLA in September and has plans to stay with Barratt Homes and progress to his NVQ level 3.