Apprentices who helped with the renovations of the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed visited the Grade II listed building this week to see how their hard work has contributed to the newly restored office block.
The office block is a two-storey building at the western end of the main Goods Shed, which had fallen into disrepair after it ceased operation in the 1960s. As part of Cyfle Building Skills training initiatives, Ciaran Goddard-Howe (Bricklaying), Morgan Richards (Carpenter), and Sammy Young a female (Carpentry/Joinery) student who accessed the CITB “On Site Hub” work experience programme joined local contractor TRJ to work on this unique Heritage project.
As well as taking on apprentices from the Cyfle Shared Apprenticeship scheme, Bartek Olszewski (Bricklayer) and Kieron Jones-Rees (Plastering), TRJ engaged with their own direct traditional apprentices Caian Francis, Joel Richards and Dafydd Rees who also worked on Goods Shed’s first phase of renovations. These apprentices were tasked with the initial job of removing the internal office partition walls to create an open space, as well as stripping plaster and debris from the walls.
Trustees of the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust were delighted to welcome these aspiring craftsmen back to see the immense progress made at the office block since they started on site last year.
Nia Griffith MP, Chair of the Trust said:
“The transformation of this building is absolutely stunning, and we are delighted with the contribution that these apprentices have made to the work and hear about the practical skills they have gained while engaged on this project. It must have looked like a very daunting task to those who came in from the beginning, and involved relentless hours of effort stripping out the interior while maintaining the historical features of the building and we hope that all those involved will see the benefits of the project for years to come. As well as thanking the apprentices themselves and wishing them every success for the future, I would like to thank all those from Cyfle and TRJ Building Contractors who have organised and supervised the apprentices. This has not only benefitted the Goods Shed project, but also given the apprentices really valuable training and helped build a skilled workforce for the future. ”
Anthony Rees, Regional Manager of Cyfle Building Skills added,
“Great to see so many Work Experience candidates and apprentices given the opportunity to work on this fantastic project, bringing a building originally constructed in 1875 and back to life in 2022. Well done to all involved in the project to date.”
