CASS Scaffolding Apprenticeship Assessment Week 1 Includes a Tough Military Style Workout

With one week of the CASS Apprenticeship Assessment completed the five candidates have already had a very wide variety of new experiences. Cameron Vowles, Rhys Fford, Deklan Grotz, Rhys Hunter and Daniel Davies have visited several live jobs including Taylor Wimpey’s City Vision development in Newport’s city centre.

CASS Contracts Manager, Brian Davies, a former Royal Navy Physical Training Instructor, put the apprenticeship candidates through their paces with a number of team-working exercises and then a genuine military physical work out using scaffolding tube in place of the usual barbells. At the end of the session Brian commented “These young men are as fit and enthusiastic as any of the new recruits I trained in the Royal Navy. They have come through this workout with flying colours.” CASS CEO Tom Gent, another former Royal Navy recruit also joined the group for the physical training session and was very pleased with the physical aptitude the young men demonstrated at Brian’s session.

The second week of their assessment will include some more mental and physical challenges. Amongst these will be the opportunities to load and unload one of CASS’s scaffold lorries. They will also have the opportunity to visit 2 more sites; ISG at the UWE in Filton and the City and Country site at the former Bristol General Hospital. CASS Assessment Leader, Ian Bruford (pictured 4th from left), commented “Taking the Apprenticeship Candidates to visit live sites gives them the chance to see the complexity of some of the work that CASS carries out and emphasises the professionalism we expect from our scaffolders.”

This second week may also include another strenuous physical workout from Brian – something we are sure the candidates will be looking forward to! The five young men who have put themselves through this assessment have shown genuine strength of character and a real enthusiasm for the industry.