This National Apprenticeship Week (9th – 15th February), housebuilder David Wilson Homes is celebrating its recently recruited apprentice at its The Poppies development in Maidstone. Budding ‘chippy’, Henry Hankin (22), began his Level 2 Carpentry & Joinery apprenticeship in September 2025.
According to Federation of Master Builders (FMB), around 35% of housebuilders struggled to hire carpenters, and many had to turn down work due to lack of skilled trades . This, coupled with lofty housebuilding targets from the government, means that apprentices like Henry are key to plugging the construction skills gap.
Henry has had a slightly different pathway into his apprenticeship, having a break between leaving school and starting his course. Having studied A Levels at a local grammar school in Kent, he knew that further education was no longer the pathway for him.
Henry comments: “I always enjoyed school, however, after A Levels I knew that it was time to enter the world of work. I went to a grammar school, so the attention was often heavily weighted towards applying to Russell Group universities. We received next to no information on apprenticeships, and it often felt like we were left to fend for ourselves. I did quite academic A Levels achieving high grades in Fine Art, English Literature and Psychology, but towards the end it was time for something new. Sitting behind a desk simply isn’t an option for me, so I left school in 2021 and went into laboring for a few years.”
Having joined his apprenticeship course in September 2025, Henry splits his time between York College & University Centre and working with subcontractors onsite at The Poppies.
“Balancing theoretical and practical training means you’re receiving a 360-degree experience. I gain so much from both my weeks at college as well as my day job at The Poppies. A big bonus about working with a volume housebuilder such as David Wilson Kent is that you work with a large variation of people and subcontractors. This has meant that I’ve learnt so many different ways of working, and the latest tips and tricks of first fix, second fix and roofing. Tutors at college also have years of experience behind them – they’ve been there and done it and now want to pass their knowledge onto the next generation.”
New apprentices with David Wilson Kent can choose to qualify in either carpentry or bricklaying, and the 18-month course will see Henry gain crucial hands-on training supported by the expertise of the construction team. After Henry qualifies, he can either choose to go into full-time employment for a subcontractor or continue into a Level 3 qualification.
Henry continues: “I wanted to think long term about my career. People will always need houses, and everyone is aware of the construction employment gap. Practical work is a two-way street; you can see the results based on how much work you put in. Carpentry is also an industry which is unlikely to be dominated too heavily by AI – you have to think about these things before embarking on a career! If you’re hardworking and can offer a proactive personality, you’re already halfway there.”
William Walsh, Managing Director at David Wilson Kent, comments: “We’re facing the biggest employment crisis in a generation and shortages of trades is particularly acute in Kent. Apprentices like Henry are a leading example of the sort of people we need in this industry; forward-thinking, proactive and positive leaders that can inspire other people to join this career pathway. As Henry highlights, the conversation around apprenticeships needs to start at grassroots level at schools. This way, young people will understand the opportunities available to them as early as possible to inform their choices when choosing GCSE, A Level and T Level options, as well as apprenticeships. We look forward to seeing Henry flourish in his role at David Wislon Kent, and that he takes every opportunity he can.”
The next round of apprenticeships at David Wilson Kent open in February 2026. To find out more about the careers available, visit https://barrattcareers.co.uk/apprentices-graduates/apprenticeships/.
