Regional Senedd Member Joyce Watson celebrated National Apprenticeship Week by meeting young apprentices at J Randall Roofing, based in Ammanford.

The roofing company started trading over 10 years ago as a small local business, serving mostly South West Wales.

Since then, they have expanded to work throughout the whole of Wales and the South West, and a large part of the UK through their flexible operational team.

Mrs Watson visited their Parc Amanwy base on February 10 to hear about their experiences and the importance of construction apprenticeships in building a strong Welsh economy.

“These talented young workers will play a vital role in our workplace, and I was impressed by their talent and the skills of those training them," she said.

"The company and the CITB are doing a great job of supporting individuals to realise their potential.”

Mrs Watson, who is the chair of the Senedd cross party group on construction, was joined by members of The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) who briefed her on support for companies, which can include apprenticeship costs.

National Apprenticeship Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the impact of apprenticeships across a range of industries and sectors.

It underlines the huge impact apprentices have on the construction industry in Wales and across the UK.

Employers are encouraged to advertise their vacancies, while CITB work with them to cover the costs associated with taking on an apprentice.

During the visit, Mrs Watson was briefed about the challenges facing apprentices and employers, the technical training involved, the processes, mentoring and managing, and also about the progression journey to HND.

Julia Stevens, Engagement Director at CITB Wales said: “We know that over the next five years we need 9,100 new workers joining the industry in Wales if we are to meet our infrastructure needs.

"Apprenticeships represent the main route into the industry and their role in supporting businesses to thrive whilst they in turn support the pipeline of new talent is vital.

“As chair of the Cross Party Group on Construction, Joyce is an enthusiastic advocate for the construction industry in Wales especially around the skills needed to develop a competent and inclusive workforce, and we thank her for her time spent with apprentices at J Randall Roofing as part of National Apprenticeship Week, and her broader support for the industry.“