’In the long-run it will be much better for me financially’
Ryan Wilby was already working in construction with Scotia as a labourer when he became an apprentice bricklayer at the age of 24.
“When my daughter was born in 2016, I realised I needed to get a trade,” Ryan says. “As the oldest on my course, it was a bit strange going back to college, but I’ve only got three weeks of college time left now.
“It’s the outdoor stuff I enjoy much more, and that’s what most of the course is. I really like building Fyfe stone walls because you have to think about which colour and size of stone to put in the right place. It’s a bit of a puzzle!
“I had to take a wage cut as an apprentice, but in the long-run it will be much better for me financially.
“We have a good laugh on the course, and I’ve actually won two bricklaying awards since I started. My old friends who are still labourers are now thinking they should’ve done what I did.”
To find out more about apprenticeships at CITB, visit www.citb.co.uk/construction-apprentice
