Build UK has produced a video report of this year’s Open Doors, which took place as a virtual experience in March 2020 due to coronavirus. ‘Open Doors Goes Digital’ saw Build UK members share a variety of online resources, from ISG’s virtual tour of Lords Cricket Ground to Willmott Dixon’s interview with their management trainees, as they showcased careers in construction.

Thank you to all the Build UK members who helped make it a success, and the Open Doors website will return later this year to promote the industry to the next generation.

Build UK client member Scape Group has created ‘Learning in Lockdown’, a week-long remote work experience programme for students aged 14-15, with the aim of helping young people out of work to gain experience during lockdown. 300 schools and over 25,000 students have signed up to take part between 18-22 May.

Class of Your Own has provided the syllabus, learning resources and guidance, while the week will be based around the Esteem Pavilion Design Challenge with a particular focus on those studying STEM subjects. Students will work together in small groups – and with industry mentors – to deliver a fully detailed engineering design proposal for a real building. The experience will enhance the social and communications skills of participants, as well as adding a Silver Industrial Cadets Award to their CVs.

Learning in Lockdown aims to ensure youngsters are able to enter and quickly return to the workforce post-coronavirus. An estimated £2.5 million Social Return on Investment (SROI) will be generated throughout the week, calculated according to the economic benefits enjoyed by each participant based on equivalent increased earnings.

Scape Group are keen to hear from potential supporters of the Learning in Lockdown initiative and you can find out more about partnership opportunities by getting in touch via email.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme allows employers to claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ usual monthly wages, up to £2,500 a month, plus their associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions.

Furloughed employees cannot undertake any work for the company; however, they are able to train whilst furloughed and entitled to appropriate levels of pay while doing so.

Training Furloughed Employees

Furloughed employees are able to engage in training, as long as doing so does not provide services to, or generate revenue for, or on behalf of their company or a linked or associated company.

Where training is undertaken at the request of their employer, furloughed employees are entitled to be paid at least their appropriate national minimum wage. In most cases, the furlough payment of 80% of an employee’s regular wage, up to the value of £2,500, will be sufficient to cover these training hours. However, if the time spent training exceeds the furlough payment, employers will need to pay the additional wages

Apprentices

Apprentices can be furloughed in the same way as other employees, and are able to continue their training remotely or via e-learning as far as is practicable during this time. Employers should liaise with their apprentice’s training provider to establish whether e-learning is available.

Where training is undertaken by furloughed workers at the request of their employer, apprentices must be paid at least the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage (AMW). Employers may claim 80% of the cost of an apprentice’s wages through the Government furlough scheme, but will need to cover any shortfall between the amount claimed through the scheme and their minimum wage.

Accessing E-learning

CITB has confirmed that a number of courses on its Training Directory are eligible for grant when completed via e-learning. It has also opened its apprenticeship e-learning free of charge to all apprentices, regardless of who they are studying with.

Further information on training furloughed employees can be found in the FAQs of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Coronavirus Employment Schemes Guidance Note. Details of the changes made to apprenticeships is available on the Build UK website.

The coronavirus crisis has created the need for a temporary change to card schemes and card scheme testing. Card applicants have been unable to apply for or renew their cards as all Health, Safety & Environment (HS&E) test centres have been closed until further notice. CITB and CSCS have responded in the following ways:

CITB – Position on testing and in-house testing for employees

As all HS&E testing has been suspended, CITB has introduced ‘LITE’, a free of charge product to help employers run in-house interim testing to determine if an employee is safe to be working on their site. Two LITE products have been developed, one for operatives and one for managers and professionals.

Employers can use the relevant app, which is available for Apple or Android devices and as a Windows PC/Laptop download, to ‘test’ their employees in a controlled environment.  Further information on how to download and use the temporary LITE testing products, along with suggested test delivery guidelines are available on the CITB website.

CSCS – Amendments to card application and renewal requirements

CSCS has compiled the measures which each of its Partner Card schemes has put in place to support applicants struggling to find availability to sit the test and renew their card. These measures include extending the period for card renewals.

The expired card or certificate should still be relevant for the occupation being undertaken and arrangements for renewals will be put in place in due course.

CPCS has introduced an ‘emergency card’; however, Build UK, CECA and NFDC do not see the need for this as the grace period for expired cards has been extended.

As the CSCS telephone service is temporarily suspended, applications are being accepted via the online service.  Employers can continue to contact CSCS via contact form or web chat services.

Further information can be found on the CSCS website.

CITB has expanded its Skills and Training Fund to include both small and medium businesses from Wednesday 1 April.  The fund was previously only open to small businesses, with up to 99 employees and has now been expanded to include medium sized businesses with between 100 and 250 employees.

Funding of between £5,000 (up to 49 employees) and £25,000 (up to 250 employees) is now available to cover the cost of training and other skills development activity.  The fund covers construction-specific, grant-eligible training where it has not been undertaken in the business previously, and management and leadership training.

To be eligible, businesses are required to:

• Set out their training activity, typically for a period of 12 months, although multi-year plans are available.
• Demonstrate the training will contribute to their business’ productivity and help them to become more efficient and profitable.
• Demonstrate the training is construction focused, impactful and represents good value for money.

Applicants are required to complete a short application form and provide details about the training or activity their business requires funding for. The funding criteria, an application form and guidance notes are available on the CITB website.

Both CITB and Government have set out the measures which they have put in place to support employers to maintain their apprenticeships in the light of coronavirus (COVID-19):

CITB

• CITB is paying apprenticeship attendance grants in advance, for second and third-year apprentices already subject to CITB grant support for the remainder of the year. These payments began on Monday 6 April and are expected to support 7,500 apprentices and provide an advance of up to £2,500 in attendance grants, per apprentice. Employers can apply for the grant on the CITB website.
• CITB has extended the advanced apprenticeship grant payment to include higher level apprentices in the final year of their programme close to completion in England and Wales, or at a key level in Scotland. This is to maximise the opportunity for these learners to qualify and add value to industry. Employers can apply for the grant on the CITB website.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and CITB have worked together to discuss funding rules on breaks in learning for apprentices and the ESFA has issued guidance for apprentices, employers and training providers. Further information can be found in the article Apprenticeship Levy – Response to Coronavirus.

• CITB has helped its apprentices return home from National Construction Colleges, with every CITB apprentice being contacted by their Apprenticeship Officer. Online learning tools, including functional skills videos, have been developed to support apprentices with their studies from home. These videos are available to all apprentices, not just those undertaking their studies with CITB.

Further information on how to register and access the videos can be found on the CITB website.

• CITB is urging all employers to contact its helpline before dismissing any apprentices and if you have any questions, please contact the helpline via email.

Government

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is taking steps to ensure that where possible apprentices can continue and complete their apprenticeships, and  providers have the support they need in this challenging time. This includes:

• Confirming that apprentices ready for assessment, but that cannot be assessed due to Covid-19 issues, can have the assessment rearranged
• Allowing modification of end-point assessment arrangements, including remote assessments where possible
• Providing apprentices whose gateway is delayed with an extension to the assessment timeframe
• Enabling employers and assessment providers to report and initiate a break in learning where the interruption is greater than 4 weeks
• Confirming how to report breaks in learning, so that funding is not unnecessarily disrupted
• Confirming that for apprentices made redundant, ESFAwill support them to find alternative employment and continue their apprenticeship within 12 weeks
• Encouraging training providers to deliver training remotely and via e-learning as far as practicable.

Details on how to access the support outlined above can be found on the Government website or by emailing the Government’s dedicated helpline.

The ESFA has also published a video showing employers how to use pause & stop in the apprenticeship service to record a break in learning.  The video also explains to training providers how to record breaks in learning through the Individualised Learner Record (ILR).

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has published guidance on the apprenticeship levy in the light of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The guidance provides information on:

• Applying the policy on breaks in apprentice learning.
• Delays to end-point assessment (EPA).
• Alternative arrangements for EPA and external quality assurance.

It sets out details of specific support they are providing, which includes:

• Encouraging training providers to deliver training to apprentices remotely and via e-learning as far as is practicable.
• Allowing the modification of end-point assessment arrangements, including remote assessments wherever practicable and possible.
• Clarifying that apprentices who are ready for assessment but cannot be assessed due to coronavirus issues can have their EPA rescheduled. Apprentices whose gateway is delayed can have an extension to the assessment timeframe.
• Enabling employers and training providers to report and initiate a break in learning, where the interruption to learning due to coronavirus is greater than four weeks.
• Clarifying how to record breaks in learning so that funding is not necessarily disrupted.
• Confirming that, where apprentices are made redundant, finding them alternative employment and continuing their apprenticeship as quickly as possible and within twelve weeks.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has also published new guidance on the delivery of assessment.

The ESFA will be updating the guidance regularly and a helpline has been set up to assist with enquiries:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk

All training at CITB’s National Construction Colleges has been cancelled with immediate effect and the colleges closed. Current and advance-booked courses during the closure can be rescheduled or refunded. All CITB Employer Roadshows have also been cancelled.

CITB has confirmed a range of measures to reassure employers at this time, including:

• A comprehensive plan to support apprentices in the industry is being developed, with companies encouraged to continue employing any apprentices in the meantime. Information will be available shortly on the specific support that will be offered by CITB.
• Existing bookings of the Health, Safety and Environment Test can be rescheduled or cancelled at no cost.
• The introduction of a grace period for the renewal of SMSTS and SSSTS certificates for those unable to complete the refresher course before the expiry of their certificate.

Alongside this, CITB has relaxed the rules and sanctions that apply to Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) as follows:

• Extending the 10 day achievement upload rule within the Requirements for ATOs to 30 days.
• Extending the 30 day period in which ATOs have to submit self-assessment evidence against any full standards they wish to deliver to 90 days.

CITB has also published a list of preventative measures to help candidates combat the transmission of coronavirus.

In light of the escalation of Coronavirus (COVID – 19) Open Doors Week 2020 is changing from being an onsite experience to a virtual one!

The mission of Open Doors has always been to welcome and showcase the industry to as many people as possible, but we need to make sure it is safe and responsible to do so.

Thanks to the wonders of technology, we are taking Open Doors Digital and offering a range of remote options for visitors to learn more about construction and explore sites across the country!

Here’s Build UK Project Manager Alice Cook to explain further!

We would like to ask all employers to explore “Open Doors Goes Digital” and encourage all visitors to look at the options outlined below. In particular, schools can still utilise the spot in their timetable scheduled for an Open Doors site visit to explore the fantastic career opportunities available in construction!

Open Doors goes Digital:

• Information for Employers
• Information for Visitors

We hope you understand the need for the change of plan and we will continue to share via social media and the hashtag #OpenDoors20 throughout next week, showcasing the great sites our industry delivers.

As always, if you have any questions please get in touch with the team.

CITB is keen to meet with Build UK members to share the impacts we have delivered, and to discuss our plans to continue that work.

The slide deck and notes included in this article provide a high level summary of the outcomes we have delivered for the construction sector, focussed on activity most relevant to the contractor members and specialist trade association/federation members of Build UK.

You will notice that lots of these projects have been sponsored and led by Build UK members, with funding support from CITB. This shows the close partnership that CITB and Build UK have developed to help meet some of industry’s needs. The slide deck also runs through the reforms CITB have implemented in response to the views expressed by Build UK in response to the previous consensus.

Over the next few months, CITB Levy-payers will have the opportunity to respond to our proposals for 2021 – 2024. Further information on this process is available in these slides.

If you would like to find out more about how we have worked with Build UK members over the past three years, or would like to provide any feedback please contact Andy.Barron@CITB.co.uk.

Mark Noonan

Industry Relations Director, CITB

The UK construction industry faces a growing challenge to attract, retain and progress the best talent. With record employment, uncertainties from Brexit and the changing workforce demographic as the population ages, construction firms are facing a looming skills shortage if they are not able to tap into existing talent pools or encourage the next generation into the sector.

There is an urgent need to create a more attractive career pathway for all, providing both men and women better work-life balance and progression. Improving flexible working would address a number of strategic priorities, ranging from diversity and inclusion to health and well-being to enhancing employers’ ability to attract and retain talent. However, despite the business benefits, employers are not keeping pace with the demand for flexible working.

Supported by Build UK, flexible working consultancy Timewise has partnered with four Construction Pioneers: Bam Construct, Bam Nuttall, Skanska and Willmott Dixon, on a one year programme to explore how to improve flexible working in the industry. This entails reviewing current practices and identifying the barriers the industry faces, including the established long hours culture and the fact that interdependency of tasks onsite makes changes to working patterns difficult.

A strong business case for change has been identified – including talent attraction, better mental health and improved wellbeing. All partners will be working with Timewise to use these insights to pilot new flexible working options on identified sites over the coming months.

Build UK recently attended the CITB Employer Roadshow in London, which was well attended by employers.

The London Roadshow included presentations from employers who set out how CITB had helped their business’ training needs:

• Kisiel Group – Annie Summun presented how CITB’s Skills and Training Fund had equipped the company to train and upskill its workforce. Further information on how small businesses can access CITB support is available here.
• Tideway – A £4.2 billion infrastructure project, also known as the Super Sewer, has set up a pre-employment programme, to attract new and diverse talent from local communities. This included a case study of an employee who had been unemployed for 12 years and joined the company through the programme.
• Keltbray and Transport for London (TfL) – Holly Price (Keltbray) and Laura Miller (TfL) presented on how they were working together to deliver one of CITB’s Construction Skills Fund hubs and were working with the local community to encourage new industry entrants.
• Berkeley Homes – Stav Aristokle-Hill presented on Berkeley’s apprenticeship programme, having recently been awarded Large Employer of the Year at the CITB Apprenticeship Awards.

CITB also presented the following information:

• Apprenticeships: Off-the-job training myths
• An update on grants and funding from CITB – presentation
• The attraction campaign FutureMade which would be launched in the New Year.

CITB also used the opportunity to promote its local advisor network and to encourage businesses to contact their adviser who could provide assistance with claiming funding via the Skills and Training Fund.

At the end of July, the Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) held a stakeholder networking event, updating the industry on their work to ensure that the demand of 66,000 new homes needed each year in London is met.

Following on from the presentation delivered at the Build UK Skills Briefing in June, Jules Pipe (Deputy Mayor for Skills, Greater London Authority) set out the three levels of support provided to the Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA):

• MCA Quality Mark – this demonstrates the quality of curriculum, work readiness and links with employers. There are now four new quality mark providers, taking the total up to 24
• MCA Hubs – These are improving the supply of skilled workers and raising awareness of careers in construction. They lead organisations local to the area of operation, bringing together training providers and job brokers to make sure skills needs are met at a local level.

A second round of funding of £1.5m will be available in the autumn. This will be for three purposes:

• applications from new hubs (particularly in south west London where there are no hubs)
• expansion of existing hubs
• support for employment brokerage.

• Capital Investment – Skills for London has a capital fund of £82m. There is £7m specifically for construction skills, modern methods of construction and precision manufacturing. Only providers who have achieved the MCA Quality Mark are eligible to apply.

All seven MCA Hubs provided an overview of their activity:

• College of North East London
• London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
• London Borough of Camden
• London South Bank University
• London South East Colleges
• Transport for London and Ealing
• Hammersmith and West London College

To ensure the MCA Hubs are successful, all seven are seeking employer engagement, particularly to:

• send details of vacancies in the hub areas
• provide work experience opportunities
• provide details of the skills they need to recruit for.

Building Mental Health, the Supply Chain Sustainability School and Workforce Integration Network will be engaging with all seven Hubs and provided an update on their work.

With two workers in construction taking their own life every working day, Building Mental Health has an online free resources portal, as well as a tool box talk available. They also provide a five-step programme, and employee assistance 24/7 and construction industry helpline app which is available free of charge.

The Supply Chain Sustainability School will be made available to colleges to upskill existing lecturers/Further Education colleges and give new opportunities for young people entering industry. Each SME gets their own learning management system to see which members of the team have completed training.

The Workforce Integration Network aim to improve employment experience of underrepresented groups particularly young black men. They launched in March 2018 with Tideway. The Black Training Enterprise Group (BTEG) is developing a free, practical toolkit for organisations, which is funded by the Mayor.

For more information please visit the Mayor’s Construction Academy website.

Build UK’s trade association members met on Wednesday 24 April 2019 at the Chartered Institute of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) to discuss the challenges of delivering specialist training and to propose solutions for contractors.

Discussions explored the specific challenges for the delivery of apprenticeships, specialist training and training groups with a number of key issues identified:

• There was no ‘one size fits all’ method for delivering specialist training and solving the issues faced often required specific sector-based solutions
• Being a trainer or assessor was often not an attractive prospect to existing industry employees. It was proposed that industry work to develop the skill sets of professional trainers to provide them with the proficiency to deliver industry training, rather than reducing the number of existing skilled operatives from the industry.
• Industry is keen to collaborate and share examples of best practice to ensure operatives are able to access the most appropriate training opportunities for them.

Presentations were delivered by Graham McPhail, Head of Education and Training at the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), as well as Richard Miller, the Head of Qualifications and Standards at the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).

Graham presented on the existing structure of the National Construction College (NCC). The decision was taken by the CITB Board to divest the NCC’s constituent parts to allow CITB to divest from the direct delivery of training and be more strategic in facilitating training provision. As of April 2019, Heads of Terms had been agreed for four of the seven areas of the NCC business: NCC training centres in the Midlands and Erith along with the National Specialist Accredited Centre and Assessment and Verification team. Transferal of ownership was expected to be completed by October 2019, with the remaining three areas (NCC – Bircham Netwon and Inchinnan and the Health and Safety team) expected to be completed by January 2020. Graham’s presentation is available here.

Richard provided a case study on how the RoofCERT scheme was working to provide assurance that operatives in roofing held the required knowledge, skills and experience to work effectively. The scheme looked to develop the quality of training, improve the perception of the roofing industry and have 5,000 roofers accredited by June 2021. Richard’s presentation is available here.

To recruit the next generation of our workforce, the industry needs to pull together and inspire young people of all ages to look at construction as an exciting and rewarding career choice. To help make this happen Build UK launched Inspiring Construction, subsequently supported by the Construction Leadership Council, which agreed that a joint industry skills plan is fundamental to delivering the skills needed now and, in the future.

Inspiring Construction brings together a number of projects that will be delivered by Build UK in 2019, supported by a reformed CITB.

Our Build UK projects are:

• Construction Ambassadors – We will re-develop the CITB Construction Ambassadors programme creating a strong effective programme that can be used by everyone in the industry to showcase the opportunities in construction. If you would like to become an ambassador in the future, let us know!
• Open Doors – Open Doors Week offers a unique chance to discover the different career paths in the construction industry, and to talk directly to people passionate about what they do. This year’s Open Doors Week ran from 18 – 23 March with a record 290 sites, offices and factories opening, with 6,000 visits booked – our most successful year to date. Planning for 2020 will get underway soon so watch this space!
• Work Experience – The new T level qualifications require formal work experience and we know that informal work experience inspires people to take the next step towards a job in construction. We are aiming to create an industry-wide work experience framework which will provide employers of all sizes with the support they need to offer at taste of construction to the next generation.
• Bridge into Construction – A college-based programme that ensures young people have the right foundations to enter the construction industry and provides employers with access to a talent pool of potential apprentices and new recruits. This academic year, we have nine colleges running the programme, partnered with Build UK members.
• Degree Apprenticeship System – To make it easy for school leavers to find an employer offering the training they are looking for, we are working with UCAS to create a portal specifically for students keen to embark on a degree apprenticeship. Our members have already met to begin setting up the system which will streamline the application process for both employers and students.

We will keep you updated on all our projects and if you would like to get involved, please contact our Inspiring Construction Project Manager, Alice Cook.

B&CE have been continuing to develop a new, simplified occupational health scheme that works for the construction industry.

This summer, they consulted with the industry on the proposed framework, a three-year plan that clarifies the complex health and safety legislation that employers need to comply with. The framework was developed in collaboration with an Occupational Health (OH) Steering Group made up of employers, occupational health professionals, regulators and Federations.

Through both face-to-face events and an online consultation, B&CE received valuable feedback from contractors, clients, occupational health service providers and individual workers.

Respondents commented that the framework provides a simple, clear and robust approach to managing workers’ health. The points which respondents challenged B&CE, such as the proposed framework cycle, legal compliance, availability and accessibility, are all being considered as they develop the next iteration of the framework.

A number of respondents asked why mental health is not included in the framework.  Raising awareness of, and improving mental health outcomes is vital for the industry and B&CE will continue to work with the OH Steering Group to review developments in this area, and include them when appropriate.

Chief Executive Patrick Heath-Lay commented:

“The industry is eager for a solution, and we are working hard to make sure we get one that is absolutely right.  Work has started on the digital platform, as harnessing the power of technology is vital to achieving our goal of an efficient, cost effective solution.  We’ve got a lot to do, and we will continue to collaborate with the industry as we make progress.”

B&CE are in the process of reviewing the feedback, revising and refining the framework, and will report back to the industry in due course.

You can keep up to date with developments on B&CE’s website.

The online consultation on B&CE’s proposed new occupational health framework deadline of Friday 29 September is now only a month away.

The framework is the first stage in the development of a new occupational health model for the construction industry. It helps clarify the complex health and safety legislation that employers need to comply with. By implementing it, employers will have a consistent and easily-repeatable process for assessing health, giving them confidence that workers’ health is being appropriately monitored as they move from job to job.

Margaret Grahamslaw, B&CE’s head of occupational health and wellbeing says:

“The industry is eager for us to launch something as soon as possible, as there’s clearly a need for a solution that everyone can understand and adopt.  We’re working hard to make sure we get it absolutely right.”

93% of attendees at B&CE’s consultation events in June gave a thumbs up to the framework, but they want to make sure that they hear from all parts of the industry.

The purpose of the online consultation is to gather initial immediate reaction to the proposed framework, asking two simple questions:

1) Does this framework simplify occupational health for you?
2) Would you adopt this framework for your company?

With less than a month to go until the consultation closes, they would like to hear your opinions and feedback.

Visit B&CE’s website to watch the short overview video, download the framework, and provide any additional feedback you may have.

Build UK and Collab Group’s ‘Bridge into Construction’ programme is taking shape, with the programme being promoted to potential students in advance of the new academic year.

Developed from employer feedback, the course offers a clear route into a Career in Construction; linking students to genuine work experience opportunities and providing employers with direct access to a ‘talent pool’ of potential apprentices.

The one year further education course will begin on 1 October 2017 and will be piloted by Leicester College, Sheffield College and South Thames College. The course will provide a consistent level of training and competence, and equip students with introductory skills they need to embark on an apprenticeship in construction resulting in a strong foundation for a future career in the industry.

Suzannah Nichol MBE, Build UK Chief Executive said:

“This programme has the potential to be a game changer for construction. Providing a course that offers the work ready skills employers are looking for increases the chances of students pursuing a career in construction and taking up an apprenticeship. We now need employers of all sizes to play their part by offering work experience to young people attending their local college and take the opportunity to secure their next apprentice and future workforce.”

Ian Pretty, Chief Executive of Collab Group said:

“This exciting project is a real opportunity for Collab Group Colleges to make a difference to the work outcomes of the students who attend construction courses. Engaging with industry via Build UK and its members will increase the number of young people entering a construction apprenticeship, reducing the number who currently leaving construction FE courses to pursue alternative careers.”

For further information, please contact Sarah Garry at Build UK or Tom Lowe at Collab Group.

Build UK and Collab Group’s ‘Bridge into Construction’ programme has launched at Sheffield College, with the one year further education course beginning in October 2017.

Research by CITB and IFF Research shows that at present at least one third of young people completing a construction further education course do not continue into employment within the industry.

As part of Inspiring Construction, the industry’s recruitment campaign, the Bridge into Construction course aims to ensure that young people have the training and skills the industry needs, and employers have access to the next generation of talent.

The newly designed course, which was developed with strong employer input, allows construction and the further education sectors to implement a construction vocational route at least four years ahead of Government timetable set out in the Post-16 Skills Plan.

The format of the course will be a project-based teaching style which allows the participating students to understand the lifecycle of a construction project – from the tendering stage, through to design, construction and post-construction. It will also provide students with qualifications including the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, and provide a strong foundation for a future career in the industry.

There are currently 25 students signed up to the course, with Berkeley Group supporting the course by offering work experience to these students.

Employment co-ordinators Rachel Hall & Danielle Buckley at St James and St William said:

“As part of the Berkeley Group, St James and St William are passionate about supporting people who wish to embark on a career in construction. Bridge into Construction is a new and exciting project that will present our business with candidates who are keen to learn more about the construction industry. We are privileged to be a part of this programme and look forward to supporting the candidates and offering invaluable work placement opportunities.”

Students are expected to complete the course by July 2018. For more information please contact Matt Harvey.