Construction trade apprentices, Cameron Aket, Callum Rigby and Marc McLaughlin are loving their apprenticeships with Wigan Council.
The trio, who attend our Centre of Excellence in Construction & Engineering are at different stages of their apprenticeships but are all progressing and excelling.
With National Apprenticeship Week commencing 10th February, it’s fitting to see that doing an apprenticeship in the borough is a fantastic route towards a bright future.
Last year, research by tech start-up Multiverse showed that Wigan was the best place to be an apprentice in England. And the collaborative work between ourselves and Wigan Council is evidence of that.
Callum joined the council at 17 as a seasonal gardener, before working as a labourer. He then undertook a pre-apprenticeship at the college where he passed Functional Skills Level 2 in maths and English (within 6 months).
The Level 2 Joinery apprentice said:
“I wanted better for myself after not getting the best grades at school. This apprenticeship has helped me to build confidence while learning as I go. It also builds responsibility too. Doing an apprenticeship has also allowed me to work alongside lots of experienced people who pass on their knowledge to me.
He’s also been nominated as a finalist in the APSE National Apprentice of the Year Awards 2025. The Awards are recognition of future tradespersons/professionals, as well as the councils themselves who continue to invest in and provide first class training and employment.
“I love how varied the role is and I plan to stay with the council after my apprenticeship. There's always opportunity to move up and progress - it's a good environment to work in,” he added.
Works Deliver Team Manager at Wigan Council, Kieran Devlin said: “Apprenticeships are a critical pathway into sustained and valued employment, especially at such a time when we are experiencing skills shortage in the core trades.”
“Callum, Cameron and Marc have each brought a youthful vigour and enthusiasm to their teams and continue to be a real asset to Wigan Council. They’ve embraced the challenge head on, invested in themselves in both time and tooling and as a result they have excelled.
“The skills developed and the exposure into the construction industry that apprenticeships provide ensure that we have a work force for the future.”
Level 2 Plastering apprentice, Cameron took a different route into his apprenticeship. The 21-year-old completed a full-time course at the college while working part-time on a site.
“I thought doing the apprenticeship was the best option for me. I'm really enjoying it. Being on-site and learning from all sorts of people and putting what I have learnt at college into practise is the best bit.”
The former Atherton High School pupil is one of Wigan & Leigh College’s Apprentice Innovation Ambassadors after completing the Innovation Literacy Programme (first cohort). The programme aims to provide apprentices with innovative ideas in which they can in turn give real impact for their employers.
Fellow plastering apprentice, Marc worked as a labourer for the council for a number of years but is now coming to the end of his Level 2 apprenticeship.
The 29-year-old decided to go down the apprenticeship route in order to upskill and improve his life.
“I'm glad I chose this route. It’s easy getting up in the mornings as I love what I do,” said Marc.
“Everything about it is good as you're learning on the job which is the most beneficial bit.” Due to complete his apprenticeship in March he added, “I'm thankful to Wigan Council for giving me the opportunity. I get lots of great support working here too - it's really a blessing.”
As the largest college provider of apprenticeships in Greater Manchester, we work with more than 1,500 employers and 2,000 apprentices in a range of sectors, from health and social care to hospitality and catering, bricklaying to business and many more.
For information on apprenticeships or current vacancies call 01942 761851 or email apprenticeships@wigan-leigh.ac.uk