Its innovative ‘The Apprentice & The Bee’ programme lifted the Training Initiative title at the Construction Awards of Excellence 2024 held recently in Nottingham.

Fourply has used the bee’s focus on hard work and teamwork to create a unique educational journey with their apprentices. They are tasked with building bee hotels, which showcase their evolving technical skills and act as an educational tool.

The Apprentice & The Bee links the challenge of a growing skills shortage in the construction industry with the bee’s struggle due to habitat loss, climate change, and other environmental pressures.

The hand-built wooden structures are designed to attract the next generation of solitary bees and serve as a reminder for Fourply workers that success depends on each individual, and by supporting one another they strengthen the community as a whole.

Award success

Organised by the National Federation of Builders and the Scottish Building Federation (SBF), the Construction Awards of Excellence are open to all construction and building companies within the UK.

SBF operations director Paul Mitchell said: “With The Apprentice & The Bee, Fourply has created a truly engaging programme that recognises the challenge of the growing skills shortage in the industry.

“It is a positive initiative delivered in a practical and meaningful way that showcases skills while getting an important message across.

“They were up against some stiff competition covering a full range of training initiatives across the UK so this is a great achievement.

“Also flying the flag for Scotland was Thomas Johnstone Ltd, who were shortlisted as finalists for two separate UK-wide awards: Excellence in Educational Building and the Construction Project of the Year.”

Apprentice history

Fourply has been training apprentices for more than 20 years with several former apprentices now in management positions within the company. 

However, The Apprentice & The Bee came about when the COVID-19 pandemic heightened awareness of mental wellbeing and the need for new entrants to be able to integrate, function and participate fully with the wider community and sector.

Managing director Alan Morris said: “While the relationship between The Apprentice and The Bee is metaphorical, it highlights the importance of our inclusion, work ethic, standards and community contribution.

“Making the bee hotels has a tangible end result for the apprentices as they learn many carpentry techniques, which is a massive achievement for them.  

“They also learn the environmental awareness a bee has on our biodiversity. Having the connection between the physical result of making a bee hotel and the environmental awareness ensured the project remains a positive training initiative which creates interest whilst being original.”

The Apprentice & The Bee project is showcased through lectures to promote Fourply’s internal skills-based training and an accompanying booklet that explains the philosophy behind the initiative. It also includes guidance for the apprentices on where to hang their bee hotels and how to maintain them.