Runcorn teenager’s dreams come true with Liberty apprenticeship

Seventeen-year-old, Ethan Kervin-Lowe’s dreams of becoming an electrician are closer to becoming a reality thanks to an apprenticeship opportunity with property services business, Liberty.

Inspired by his now retired grandfather who was a successful electrician, when an apprenticeship opportunity came up with Liberty, Ethan jumped at the chance to follow in his footsteps.

Ethan’s apprentice role means that he spends one day a week at Riverside College Widnes and Runcorn, and the rest of his time on jobs with his Liberty supervisors doing electrical testing in void properties, periodic electrical upgrades and testing for Liberty’s clients to reduce issues and ensure customers’ homes are safe.

Ethan said: “My apprenticeship with Liberty really is a dream come true. It means that I can get practical on the job experience and learn from experienced electricians, while also studying to gain the qualifications I need to progress in my career. It’s a role where I feel I’m making a real difference, making sure that customers electrics are safe to keep them safe in their homes.

“The thing I love most about my apprenticeship is learning and understanding how things work. When I’ve qualified as an electrician, I hope to get a position at Liberty and used my new skillset to go as far as I can.”

Ethan’s strong ambition has been recognised by his supervisors who have praised him for going above and beyond, from supporting his peers with their college work, to thinking ahead to how he can make jobs simple to fix in the future.

Steve Owens, Electrical Site Supervisor at Liberty, said: “Ethan has continued to show real initiative. Even at his interview stage he attended with a competed ECS health and safety assessment, a document that would never be expected at such an early stage of his journey. He also has a real ability to think ahead, thinking about how he can make his work as presentable as possible and considering how he can improve for the future. He’s a real asset to Liberty and we’re looking forward to seeing him progress with us as he works towards becoming a fully qualified electrician.”

As part of its commitment to boosting local employment, Liberty has reaffirmed its pledge to ensure that a minimum of 5% of its workforce is made up of apprentices as part of the 5% Club, a movement of employer members working to create a shared prosperity across the UK by driving ‘earn and learn’ skills training opportunities.