In the first of an ongoing series of blogs, we would like to showcase our sponsors who have made the Teach Portsmouth Awards possible. We took some time out to speak with Duncan O'Rourke, building projects director at Mountjoy about why they are sponsoring the community and collaboration award. 

Could you tell us what Mountjoy does and your connection to education? 

Mountjoy provides professional construction, refurbishment, building maintenance and facilities management services across the south of England. Our clients include universities, independent schools, academies, colleges, local authorities, housing associations, healthcare organisations and commercial businesses.

In terms of education, our specific goal is to broaden the horizons of young people and help them to understand the unique skills and varying opportunities that a career in our sector offers. Our connection to education can be summarised as follows:

• We work in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to advertise work placement opportunities and apprenticeships for young people
• We provide work experience opportunities and traineeships for a number of young people from local schools and colleges
• We provide apprenticeships for young people – we have a commitment to provide a minimum of 10 apprenticeship placements per year for young people, encompassing a variety of trades across both the construction and maintenance sectors – our current apprentices are with the University of Portsmouth and Highbury College

What do the Teach Portsmouth Awards mean to you/organisation? 

We are aware we have a significant presence in the city and the ability to create avenues for young people into professional careers. The Teach Portsmouth Awards signify our commitment to providing these opportunities in any way we can, along with offering our support to those who provide the city's young people with the skills and life experience required to succeed in these opportunities.

What are you looking forward to from the awards ceremony? 

We are looking forward to joining in on a celebration of our city and the great people who work to both improve it and inspire our young people.

What special message do you have for Portsmouth's teachers, support teams and leaders? 

We appreciate all that you do in inspiring futures and setting the foundation for the next generation. We will continue to support you throughout 2022 and beyond. Thank you for making Portsmouth great.