“You learn more on site than you would in college,” said Junior, who works as a construction apprentice.

Junior currently works on a building site in Southall, helping to build more affordable homes to let for Ealing Council.

Due to be completed in summer 2026, the development on the Golf Links estate, Southall, will house 143 families across 3 blocks of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom flats. More than a third of these will be let at London Affordable Rent, contributing to Ealing Council’s goal to provide more genuinely affordable homes.

While the development will offer local families much-needed security and stability, the wider community also benefits from the jobs in construction that the development provides.

Junior’s journey

Junior, 33, has lived in the borough his whole life. After doing various jobs, he wanted to get into plumbing. He came across an apprenticeship opportunity with home-building company Hill, at the council’s Great Ealing Apprenticeship Fair, organised by the Youth Offer Partnership in February. Just 2 weeks later he started his job on the Hill site, working for Orchard Plumbing, and has been employed there ever since.

He said: “I decided to take this opportunity as I wanted to get into plumbing. I have the chance to learn skills and gain the experience to do the job. When I’ve finished a task, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

“School doesn’t prepare you for onsite work. With an apprenticeship you get a qualification and the experience, knowledge, and know-how.”

Junior told us he is planning to start a Level 3 apprenticeship in plumbing and heating with West London College later this year, which was recommended to him at the apprenticeships fair.

“I also want to get gas safety qualified. I’m really happy working here, but I’d eventually like to work in that field with my brother,” he added.

Benefits for job seekers and new tenants

Contractors and developers have to demonstrate how they will help boost local employment through their work, in order to be considered for council contracts. They can do this by offering apprenticeships, graduate placements, or work experience, and by using local tradespeople and companies.

Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said: “When they are finished next year, these new flats at Golf Links will provide hundreds of local families with affordable, energy efficient new homes, where they can thrive. With access to electric car charging points, communal gardens, and a soft play area for families, we aren’t just building homes – we are reimagining an entire neighbourhood, offering the community a better quality of life.”

An entry way into a career

The council is committed to securing 10,000 new jobs and offering access to 2,000 diverse apprenticeship vacancies by the end of the current council term in 2026,supporting more alternative routes into good, well-paid work for residents. The council is well on the way to reaching these goals, with more than 9,000 new job opportunities and nearly 1,800 diverse apprenticeship vacancies secured.

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Junior’s story goes to show how much support is on offer in the borough to help local people find the right job for them. Apprenticeships are an opportunity to gain practical work experience and earn a qualification while getting paid. All of our housing development contracts include clauses insisting that developers provide job opportunities for residents, ensuring that the council’s new affordable homes to let benefit the whole community.”

Support for businesses and job seekers

Find out about the support available to businesses, and how you can develop your own programme. Go to the Work Ealing website.

If you are interested in a career in construction, email workealing@ealing.gov.uk

Email apprenticeships@ealing.gov.uk to find out more about apprenticeships in the borough, or search apprenticeship vacancies generated through Ealing Council on the Work Ealing website.

If you need help with finding the next step in your career, visit the West London Skills and Work Finder website for support to get into work.