Newcastle Apprentice Overcomes Adversity To Win Young Builder Of The Year Award

Tyler Mudie, a 19-year-old bricklayer from Newcastle, has overcome significant personal challenges to win the Young Builder of the Year award at the annual Youthbuild UK award ceremony.

Tyler recently completed his Level 2 Bricklaying apprenticeship at the National House Building Council (NHBC) Training Hub based at Keepmoat’s The Rise development, in Scotswood, and went on to achieve full time employment at Keepmoat as a Trainee Assistant Site Manager.

The teenager was named Young Builder of the Year in the 14-18 category at the YouthBuild UK Awards last night (Wednesday 20th November) at the House of Commons, which celebrates the outstanding achievements of young people training and gaining employment in the construction industry.

The apprenticeship route has always been of interest to me, particularly in construction. I attended a SEND school, where Geoff Scott at Keepmoat gave a talk on apprenticeships, which helped to confirm that an apprenticeship was the right path for me.

I grew up in care, which was a brilliant time and really helped me to get where I am today, but securing an apprenticeship was daunting at first. My care worker was amazing at helping me find my routine and settle into my new work life, I can’t thank her enough! Since turning 18, I have moved back in with my family and my life is a lot more stable now.

The NHBC has partnered with Keepmoat to deliver apprenticeship incentives at The Rise development and welcomed a new cohort of apprentices in September.

Geoff Scott, Social Value Manager at Keepmoat, added:
“We’re delighted with Tyler’s commitment to his career progression and this award win is testament to his commitment and determination. Our construction managers recognised Tyler’s commitment and potential and offered him a promotion, which he gladly accepted.

“He has a hard-working, committed attitude and continues to impress the team in the North East as he explores his new role. Tyler is a great example for future apprentices to show what can be achieved through the apprenticeship programme.

“At Keepmoat, we are excited to see young people thrive in their roles and become the new generation of bricklayers, especially with the current skills shortage in the industry. There are so many progression opportunities within this field, so we are excited to see what’s to come.”

As part of his apprenticeship, Tyler completed his training at the NHBC Training Hub in Scotswood, which started with an intense five-week block before going onto site for ten weeks, then returning to the hub for two weeks. This pattern continued throughout the apprenticeship programme which can take between 14 and 18 months to complete.