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Funding helps Moray companies take on apprentices


By Alistair Whitfield

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Two local businesses have taken on apprentices thanks to help provided by the Finderne Development Trust.

Pictured from left to right: Emma Sedgwick from the Finderne Development Trust; Tai Serapio and Jason Caddy from Green Leaf Design & Build Ltd; Jan MacPherson from the trust.
Pictured from left to right: Emma Sedgwick from the Finderne Development Trust; Tai Serapio and Jason Caddy from Green Leaf Design & Build Ltd; Jan MacPherson from the trust.

Jacques Fiette, who's aged 23, has joined Logie Timber, a seed-to-board timber business based on Logie Estate.

The company has received financial support from the trust to employ Jacques and give training in sawmilling.

Mark Councill, a director of Logie Timber, said: "As a business we are committed to creating employment in the local area and offering opportunities for people to learn about and work in the timber industry.

"The support from Finderne Development Trust has made it possible for us to use our wealth of skills, knowledge and experience to educate and inspire a new apprentice so that they can develop and progress a long career in the sector.

"We are delighted to have Jacques join us."

Meanwhile, Tai Serapio, who's aged 16, has started work at Green Leaf Design & Build Ltd, a design and construction company based in Altyre which champions environmentally-friendly practices.

Company director Jason Caddy said: "We have taken Tai on during our current Silvertrees project in Findhorn which offers energy-efficient affordable housing.

"As a company we are committed to the construction of homes made from sustainable materials.

"We look forward to continuing to share the knowledge of this craft."

The trust's rural-based apprenticeship project was launched at the start of last year.

Its aim is to enable more young people to remain in the area to train, work and develop fulfilling careers.

For this it uses a proportion of the £138,000 community benefit funding it receives from the developers of the Logie Wind Farm, the Hill of Glaschyle Renewables LLP.

Emma Sedgwick from the trust said: "With strong interest from businesses when this project was launched in early 2020, we had high hopes that it would deliver an instant boost to our rural economy and help us drive the regeneration of Finderne.

"However, the pandemic brought a host of challenges.

"We are delighted to see our businesses now in a position to take advantage of this support to grow stronger."

Finderne covers the area to the south of Forres, includes the small settlements of Rafford, Easter Lawrenceton, Dunphail, Edinkillie, Logie, Cathay, Altyre, Burgie, Blairs, Blervie, Brodieshill, Relugas, Glenerney and Braemoray.

Find out more about the trust and its apprenticeship project here



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