MP praises link with college during National Apprenticeship Week
10 February 2026
MP Tony Vaughan visited a Kent college to see how we are working together to inspire the next generation of construction workers as part of our National Apprenticeship Week celebrations.
The South East region donated 10,000 bricks to EKC Folkestone College to give students the opportunity to practice their skills using the highest-quality materials, improving their presentation and giving them greater pride in their work.
Gav Nicholson, Contracts Manager, visited the college last week, along with the MP for Folkestone and Hythe to see the students' work and discuss future career opportunities including apprenticeships within the housebuilding industry.
Tony Vaughan MP said: “It is great to be here and see the amazing work that the students are producing using these bricks from Persimmon Homes and it is wonderful to see this connection between industry and education, working together to train these young people so they can build the homes this community needs.”
Gav Nicholson, Contracts Manager for Persimmon Homes South East, said: “This visit has allowed us to see the high-quality teaching at Folkestone and we are keen to forge a positive link with the college.
“We have met some talented bricklayers here and would be delighted to see some of them working on our sites locally in years to come. For some, that could be through an apprenticeship with an experienced bricklayer. Apprenticeships are a great option because they allow aspiring construction workers to learn the skills they need through a combination of college-based learning and site experience.”
Clare Brown, Principal at EKC Folkestone College, said: “This donation has had a huge impact for the students at the college, each brick normally costs the college £2 so having a delivery of this scale allows us to divert that money and enhance the curriculum in other ways.
“Thank you to Persimmon Homes for this donation, we are extremely grateful.”
National Apprenticeship Week runs from Monday, February 9 to Sunday, February 16 and we have a series of events around the country to highlight our commitment to training future construction workers and showcasing careers opportunities within the housebuilding industry.
