Laying the foundations for a successful career in the trades

When Henry Pilmer first lent a hand to his neighbour Michael at the age of 14, he had no idea it would shape his future career. Four years later, the 18-year-old is close to completing his bricklaying apprenticeship and already has his sights set on running his own business.

“One afternoon I went over and gave Mick a hand at his house,” Henry said. “Then I got my White Card and started going out with him on site. I worked one day a week with him during the whole of year 10, and after that year I knew this was where I wanted to be. So I left school and started my apprenticeship.”

Since then, Henry has steadily built his skills under Michael’s guidance and with training support from Skill Hire, progressing from a curious teenager to a highly capable apprentice with a reputation for quality workmanship.

According to Skill Hire Trainer and Assessor Simon Brazier, Henry’s attention to detail and craftsmanship already set him apart.

“He’s at the stage of a competition bricklayer,” Simon said. “His standard of work, his eye for detail and everything he does is superb.”

Much of that development comes down to the relationship he has built with Michael over the years. Michael believes successful apprenticeships are about more than teaching technical skills.

“I’ll never yell at apprentices when they make mistakes,” he said. “I just explain why they made the mistake and help them learn from it. Bricklaying is physically hard work and not everyone sticks with it. But Henry’s mature for his age. He’s high quality, he’s polite and he’s committed to the trade.”

As he approaches the end of his apprenticeship, Henry is already thinking about what comes next.

“Definitely as soon as I’m finished, I’m going to work for myself,” he said. “I want to be a subcontractor, start my own business, take a few risks and hopefully they’ll pay off.”

As Simon sees it, Henry has benefited from working alongside an experienced tradesperson with a deep knowledge of his craft.

“As a young person coming into the trade, I’d want to work for Michael,” he said. “The skills Henry is learning are rare and probably won’t be taught much longer. But Henry’s learning them. And when he gets his own apprentice, it’s going to continue. I like the idea of that.”