Lee Marley – The Organisation
Our first such piece focuses on Lee Marley, a leading brickwork and scaffolding business established in 1997. As the UK’s largest integrated masonry and scaffolding company Lee Marley operates from offices in London, Reading, Glasgow and Edinburgh, offering them the ability to operate nationwide.
Specialising in brick facades on high-rise buildings Lee Marley work with many of the UK’s leading construction companies, enjoying an enviable reputation across the entire sector.
Currently operating with a turnover of in excess of £80m, the ambition is to grow the business to a turnover of £140m by 2026.
Lee Marley – The Employer
With over 1,200 employees Lee Marley clearly has a focus on its people. Through training and development, they offer long-term career opportunities in a variety of roles and professional positions, apprentices, graduates and also those with prior experience.
Lee Marley – The Training Academy
In September 2023 Lee Marley Training Academy was opened and welcomed its first cohort of 12 students to commence their apprenticeship journey. This marked an important milestone for the company and represented the physical underlining of its commitment to developing the best talent in the construction sector.
Offering brickwork and scaffolding apprenticeships, the scale of the Academy allows Lee Marley to offer over 40 places per year, providing candidates with a well-supported environment in which to learn their trade.
Lee Marley – A view from the inside
When visiting the Academy, it is instantly clear that every effort has been made to create the right environment for learning. Well organised spaces, structured work and study areas that are extremely clean and tidy; no clutter, no mess.
Our guide for the tour is Christian Hatherall-Good, Training Manager for Lee Marley, an engaging individual that clearly takes great pride in what has been achieved in this quiet corner of Nine Elms, South London. And with considerable input from Christian, the tour takes place in imposing building just of the main road, in a property belonging to Lee Marley hosts London South Bank Technical College LSBTC).
We first visit the classroom within the bright, modern building. This dedicated space is well organised, tidy and offers amazing views of South London and the imposing and beautiful backdrop of Battersea Power Station.
The walls are covered with learning materials, posters, information and guidance for learners. This is a well organised classroom. Bricks made of foam give students the chance to experience three dimensional structures without having to handle real bricks.
Posters on the wall offer ‘2D/QR’ code access to tips, videos and interactive content for the learner to access, offering different ways to receive tuition.
Proudly speaking about the Academy, Christian explains they are currently training 90 apprentices at present. Their ambition is to take more on, increasing that number to over 100 across the business.
Christian goes onto explain that applicants that succeed in getting into the Academy will undertake a 14-month bespoke training programme that will, upon successful completing result in a level 2 brickwork standard.
During this period, there will be continuous periods of workshop and classroom learning (block release) studies delivered at the Nine Elms site by Christian and his team. This is combined with practical work experience gained on existing Lee Marley projects and sites across London. This potent combination and the structure and duration of the programme is a step change in apprenticeship delivery and rather, represents a notable departure from other more established methods of teaching.
There is also strong evidence of the behavioural coaching that underpins much of what the students experience at the academy. This, along with up-to-the-minute technical instruction demonstrates how the training offered goes beyond current apprenticeship requirements with specialist modules taught alongside the traditional curriculum.
Apprentices that show managerial promise are encouraged to take on more responsibility under the wing of an experienced site supervisor and are supported through their SSSTS and SMSTS supervisors and construction management training or their Advanced Scaffolder or CISRS Supervisor qualification for scaffolders.
Christian speaks with enthusiasm and passion and reveals that each apprentice is carefully matched up to the most suitable site to ensure they develop in the best possible environment to succeed. In addition to the mentoring, safeguarding and direction provided by the on-site team, the apprentices are supported by a dedicated Coach Mentor to provide guidance and pastoral care.
The Academy has only been possible through a unique collaboration with LSBTC and their state-of-the-art facilities, and several strategic partners of Lee Marley who have contributed tools, materials or content to ensure the programmes success.
This reflects a shared vision of the benefits from education providers and employers working in partnership to meet the employment needs of communities, customers, and the construction industry. It is also a key reason why we have chosen Lee Marely as the first of this new format of Case Study.
Sharing his views on the collaboration, Sammy Shummo, Group Director of Apprenticeships at LSBU commented “The relationship between Lee Marley and London South Bank Technical College (LSBTC) has been a powerful example of successful industry-academia collaboration.
As the first purpose-built technical college in London in a generation, LSBTC forms a vital part of the LSBU Group, providing seamless progression opportunities for learners into higher education. This relationship has steadily evolved from strength to strength, reflecting a shared commitment to training the next generation of skilled professionals.
The establishment of the Lee Marley Brickwork Academy at the Nine Elms campus is a key milestone in this collaboration. Together, we have designed and delivered an exceptional curriculum for the Level 2 Bricklayer apprenticeship, ensuring that our students receive training aligned with industry needs. The success of this collaboration is evident, with two cohorts already engaged in learning, and a third cohort set to begin soon.
One of the most remarkable aspects of this partnership is the diversity within our cohorts. Apprentices hail from a broad range of ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds, reflecting the inclusive opportunities this collaboration creates for people both locally and beyond. Together, we are helping to develop much-needed skills that are in high demand across the construction sector.
The leadership at Lee Marley has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to the value of apprenticeships, investing in the growth and support of this programme. Their proactive involvement ensures that apprentices not only gain technical expertise but also develop the practical skills required to excel in the field.
This partnership continues to thrive, benefiting both the apprentices and the wider community by fostering the development of skilled professionals ready to contribute to the future of construction in London and beyond.
Speaking of the Case Study programme, CCATF Chair, Martyn Price, MBE, said “Our membership, whilst diverse, shares a passion for skills and as we continues to grow it is right that we champion the successes of organisations such as Lee Marley and shine a light on the outstanding work they are doing to impact positively on training in the sector.
The academy that has been created here is a real testament to the desire of Lee Marley himself and his team to provide an outstanding environment where learners can develop their skills and go on to have rich, fulfilling and successful careers within the construction sector”.
End.
