Building skills with Cardo Group

A group of WorkStart students in the Kingston area spent an informative morning at the offices of Cardo Group, who offer a specialist in-house solution for maintaining and retrofitting homes. The students received a full induction, learning about who the company are, what they do, the importance of PPE, and the value of building strong relationships with clients and residents. They also learned about the many different apprenticeship opportunities at Cardo, before trying out their decorating skills under the watchful supervision of one of the company’s skilled painter/decorators.

The morning started with an introduction to the company, which holds the contract with the Royal Borough of Kingston for the maintenance and retrofit of homes owned by the council. They also learnt about the many different roles within the company, from customer service to trades and management.

The students were very keen to talk to one of Cardo’s current apprentices, who is working towards his qualification as a planned works supervisor. They also had a tour of the offices and heard about other apprenticeship opportunities within Cardo Group, whose services extend to fire protection and roofing across the country.

Another highlight of the visit was meeting some of the tradespeople who work for the company. They were introduced to a range of tools that a carpenter might work with on a day-to-day basis, and had a go at painting with rollers and using masking tape to create a professional finish.