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Everyone knows about Sir Alan Sugar and his high-flying apprentices…Now Mivan have their own star apprentices – winning Gold and Silver Awards in Northern Ireland’s largest multi-trade skills competition.

Stuart Currie and Matthew McSparron, both in their first year of the Mivan Apprenticeship Scheme in joinery competed in Skillbuild Northern Ireland in conjunction with Ballymena Technical College. The Mivan apprentices won the cabinet making section of the competition with Stuart Currie (pictured with BBC Presenter Sarah Travers) winning the Gold Medal Award and Matthew McSparron winning the Silver Medal Award. Stuart will progress to the National Finals and represent Northern Ireland at Skillbuild UK during October 2008 – part of National Construction Week. Skillbuild NI is hosted annually and 100 of the top apprentices compete to win coveted titles in 12 different construction craft areas ranging from plumbing to brickwork and featuring cabinet making for the first time. Skillbuild NI competition test pieces are designed to challenge the ability of apprentices to follow detailed instructions, produce accurate and neat work outputs, be economical with materials while working to strict timescales – all essential requirements for today’s construction industry Mivan offers Apprenticeships in Joinery and Metal Fabrication and both schemes have been running since 2001. Approximately 30 successful apprentices have been through the programme between 2001 and 2004, 16 of which are still employed by the Company. There are currently 17 apprentices (seven 1st year Apprentice Joiners, five 2nd year Apprentice Joiners and four 3rd year Apprentice Joiners and 1 final year Apprentice Metal Fabricator). Applications for the 2008 intake close on 30 June with positions starting in September of this year. Applications will re-open again in May 2009. For further details can be found on the Mivan website or by contacting the Mivan Human Resource Department on 028 9448 1000. « Go Back