Celebrating the achievements of young people

20 July 2016

The managing director of D-Drill believes the achievements of young people should be celebrated more enthusiastically in the UK.

Julie White was speaking at the Design and Technology Awards (projects for Coventry Secondary Schools) Sponsored by the five Rotary Clubs of Coventry which highlights outstanding work from Coventry schoolchildren within the subject.

As a former Businesswoman of the year and having a firm commitment to the training of apprentices, Julie was seen as the perfect person to give a speech at the event.

She told the audience of students, parents and teachers about D-Drill’s determination to give young people an opportunity to forge a career in the construction industry and said that the commitment to apprentices had helped to develop a workforce for the future.

She said: “I am a big believer in our young people and what they can achieve, if only they are given the freedom and the confidence to discover their talent and the time and training to develop that talent.

“I read so much in the media that gives the wrong impression about young people and tars everyone with the same brush so it is wonderful to be able to come here and celebrate the achievements of the youngsters among us.

“Around 45 per cent of our workforce are either apprentices or have come through as an apprentice. We can hardly complain to Government that the construction industry needs more work through infrastructure and house-building if we don’t then have the people to do the job when the additional work comes along.

“I think we all have a duty to put apprenticeships on a pedestal like they do in places such as Germany and stop pushing all of our young people towards a university education that doesn’t necessarily lead to a career.”

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