Morgan Sindall Construction and PlanBEE Manchester get National Apprenticeship Week moving at Hammerstone Depot
Morgan Sindall Construction has celebrated National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2023 by inviting the current cohort from the PlanBEE Manchester Shared Apprentice Scheme to gain an insight into its recently begun work at Hammerstone Depot in Manchester.
NAW 2023 is the 16th annual celebration of apprenticeships. The week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
The Gorton site - formerly home to steam locomotive manufacturer Beyer, Peacock & Co, - is being renovated to deliver an efficient, sustainable and flexible depot facility that is fit for future services.
The depot is located off Gorton Lane close to the Manchester – Glossop railway line. The main part of the project will see the 107,000 sq ft locomotive shed refurbished. It will house upgraded offices, storage space and workshop accommodation.
Apprentices from the PlanBEE Manchester programme were welcomed to the site to gain an insight into the work taking place at Hammerstone.
PlanBEE is a unique higher apprenticeship programme in Design, Construction and Management. Developed by Manchester City Council, Manchester Life, Ryder Architecture, and Gateshead College, the programme prepares participants for a career in building design and construction with a strong emphasis on digital skills and collaborative working.
Fourteen PlanBEE students received an overview of the work taking place on the complex refurbishment project and also received a tutor-led session on site.
Through its Intelligent Solutions approach, Morgan Sindall has developed innovative solutions to retain materials from the existing building and reduce construction waste. One such feature is a cathodic protection system which uses low levels of electrical current to control the corrosion of the existing steel columns and retain their structural integrity within the refurbished building.
Due to the amount of water required by Biffa to wash down vehicles, Morgan Sindall has also developed an extensive drainage strategy which includes a smart rainwater harvesting system featuring a weather detector to predict over time how much water is required to store or release.
Meet Felix - PlanBEE apprentice in this TikTok
Morgan Sindall's apprentices
Morgan Sindall is currently supporting the PlanBEE scheme and will welcome six students over the two year programme on a rotation system. Student Lucy Gallacher (pictured left) is currently with the contractor on a four month placement, whilst Felix Palin, who recently undertook his Morgan Sindall placement at Hammerstone is now based with Manchester City Council – the customer for this project. Morgan Sindall’s supply chain partner Adana – which is supplying the groundworks package at Hammerstone - are also a partner of the scheme.
Mark Harrison, senior project manager, Morgan Sindall Construction said:
It was a pleasure to welcome apprentices from PlanBEE to our work at Hammerstone as part of National Apprenticeship Week. This year’s theme is ‘Skills for Life’, and it was inspirational to see how the apprentices who joined us on site were passionate about developing their skillsets in order to develop a rewarding career and to support the long-term future of our industry. It was great to catch up with Felix Palin who recently undertook his four month placement with us at Hammerstone. He was a huge asset to our team and is now on placement with Manchester City Council, visiting our project again from our customer’s perspective. The future of construction is in safe hands!”
Cllr John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s executive member for work and skills, said:
The positive impact that creating apprenticeship opportunities can have for our residents should be celebrated year-round, but the National Apprenticeship Week holds a light up to the city’s responsibility to ensure our residents have a pathway to employment and to share in the success of the city’s growth. I hope these young people will take advantage of this opportunity and use it to forge long-term, successful careers in the construction sector.”
The unit is a single storey open plan building which will be remodelled and refurbished to provide a new multi-tenanted building with new office and maintenance facilities. The overall project also includes the rationalisation and amalgamation of services of other Manchester City Council depots at Ardwick and Newton Heath.
In total, 54,000 sq ft of redundant space will be demolished and 17,400 sq ft of new space will be created. The project was procured through the North West Construction Hub.
To find out more about PlanBEE Manchester visit www.gateshead.ac.uk/planbee/Manchester.
ENDS