The housebuilder launched the academy at the college in October as part of its drive and commitment to invest in young talent and future-proofing the business.

The delivery allows the trainees to continue their hands-on sessions at Ayrshire College using the same high-quality bricks and blocks they use on their current Taylor Wimpey development, which in turn allows both their learning on-site and off-site to complement one another.

In addition to the bricks and block, lecturers have been provided with technical drawings for some of Taylor Wimpey’s house styles, and this allows the apprentices to create realistic models of what is being built on-site within the classroom setting.

The team at Taylor Wimpey has worked with lecturers at Ayrshire College to create a bespoke training course that will enhance the SQA qualification that each young person is training for, while also ensuring that every apprentice will learn the techniques that are required to deliver high-quality new homes to its customers.

Brian Henderson, production director for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland, said building its relationship, while also investing and developing a young and talented workforce who can deliver high-quality work, is behind the donation.

He added: “Future-proofing our talent pool is very important if we are to continue to deliver the high-quality homes that our customers expect.

“As part of our commitment to working alongside the lecturers at Ayrshire College to maximise this opportunity for our young apprentices, it is a natural progression for us to create a learning environment at Ayrshire College which closely matches what we’re asking of our young talent onsite.”

Cameron Bell, head of construction technology & trades, motor vehicle and horticulture at Ayrshire College, said: “We are very grateful for the donation of the bricks which will be used by Taylor Wimpey apprentices attending Ayrshire College in their coursework and to simulate details of houses built on-site.

“The partnership between Ayrshire College and Taylor Wimpey continues to grow stronger and we look forward to further developing a Training Academy which will assist with providing young people with exposure to a progressive national employer while assisting Taylor Wimpey meet the needs of their future skills pipeline.”

Taylor Wimpey West Scotland’s Apprenticeship Academy represents a further investment in the number of apprentices that it will support this academic year. In 2018, the housebuilder employed 12 new starts, and this year’s first intake into the Apprenticeship Academy consists of 20 apprentices aged 17-27 years old, in a mix of trades that predominately includes bricklayers and joiners, as well as one rough-caster. In total, with this intake, Taylor Wimpey West Scotland is supporting the training and development of 51 apprentices.

The students complete block release for year one and two of their courses, splitting their time between on-site training and college days. Apprentices who successfully complete a four-year apprenticeship and fully qualify will be guaranteed a full-time position with Taylor Wimpey on one of their sites across the west of Scotland.

All of Taylor Wimpey West Scotland’s apprentices are now attending Ayrshire College, which means the Production Team at Taylor Wimpey can ensure consistency and high-quality across all learning.