North East teen’s triumph after qualifying as a bricklayer, overcoming childhood in and out of care

Tyler Mudie, 18, passed his Level 2 Bricklaying apprenticeship at the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) Training Hub in Scotswood this week, after training on site at ‘The Rise’ with top 10 UK housebuilder, Keepmoat, for 19 months.

The Rise is a project being delivered by New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC) in partnership with Newcastle City Council and Keepmoat.

Tyler, who came runner-up at the UK Young Builder of the Year Award 2023 at the House of Commons, began his apprenticeship in 2022 after meeting a Keepmoat representative at a school-organised careers evening.

He explains: “I attended a SEND school in Newcastle, where Geoff Scott from Keepmoat gave a talk on apprenticeships, which helped to confirm that an apprenticeship was the right path for me.

“I grew up in care and 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 though, I can’t thank her enough!

“I love building and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a finished home and knowing I had a part in its creation, that makes me very proud. I feel I am learning so much. My social skills and organisation have hugely improved off the back of my apprenticeship.”

Tyler completed his apprenticeship at the NHBC Training Hub with the support of expert NHBC trainers and his mentor, Geoff, whom he met for the first time three years ago at the school talk. The teenager has now been offered and accepted a full time role at Keepmoat as a Trainee Site Manager.

He adds: “I’m excited to get stuck into this new challenge, and I’m extremely grateful to the Keepmoat team for helping me be successful in this journey.”

Geoff Scott, Social Value Manager at Keepmoat, added: “It’s been a privilege to work alongside Tyler from when he first registered his interest in the business to him completing his end point assessment. I’ve been honoured to see him grow and really get stuck into his training.

“Tyler is a pleasure to work with and we look forward to seeing him continue his journey at Keepmoat as he begins his role as a Trainee Site Manager. This hard-working, committed, and motivated young man has overcome adversity and he’s an inspiration to all of us.”

Darryl Stewart, responsible for NHBC’s apprenticeship training programmes and hubs added: “Tyler has achieved great things and is a fantastic example of how NHBC’s house-building apprenticeships are an excellent alternative to the more traditional educational routes with our courses designed with input from across the industry and leading experts.

“Tyler has been equipped with skills for life which he can take forward and use to build high-quality new homes. At the same time, apprentices at the NHBC Training Hub are ‘earning while learning’ and can complete their industry-recognised qualification in bricklaying in as little as 14 months, with distinctions and industry-leading retention rates. This is proving to be very attractive to new starters and a standout difference to the timescale people perceive an apprenticeship can take.”

To find out more about apprenticeship schemes available through Keepmoat, please visit: keepmoat.com/careers/apprenticeships