Academy constructs skilled workers 27.05.2009
An innovative national project which helps deliver high quality construction training has come to East Lancashire for the first time.
In association with Elevate East Lancashire, the Construction Skills Academy is enabling local construction students to work on Blackburn’s Lock 54 new affordable housing development and benefit from dynamic, flexible, hands-on learning.
The first two Academy members are undertaking a two-year apprenticeship with affordable housing specialist Lovell, which is building the £14 million development of 131 new homes in the Infirmary Waterside area.
Daniel Searson, 17, of Bridge Street, Waterfoot is a level one construction student at Accrington and Rossendale College and Hugh Gibbons, 21, of Cherry Street is studying at Blackburn College.
Both Daniel and Hugh are working towards NVQ Level 2 qualifications in Carpentry and Joinery.
The two apprentices work on site, supervised by qualified craftspeople, four days a week and spend one day a week at college.
Daniel said: “I’m working on the joinery in the new houses and I’ve learnt lots of new techniques in a short amount of time.
“Working on the site is a lot of fun and it’s great to be so hands on and see the buildings developing on a daily basis – you don’t get that in the classroom,” he added.
Jeff Smithson, Elevate project coordinator, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for youngsters to get invaluable hands on work experience that will help their future in the industry.
“Despite the economic doom and gloom, there will always be a market for skilled construction workers because there will always be a market for new buildings.
“We were keen to get involved with such an innovative training scheme because it will increase the skills of construction workers and managers, training the parts of the industry that other training cannot reach,” he added.
Lovell craft trainee supervisor Paul Woby, who oversees Daniel and Hugh’s training, said: “Providing training opportunities in the local area is very important to us as part of the company’s commitment to long-term regeneration.
“Daniel and Hugh have made a great start to their apprenticeships and we look forward to helping them continue to develop their skills over the course of their training,” he added.
The Academy is a Government initiative which is available to construction employers, clients, colleges and the Learning Skills Council (LSC) to deliver project-specific on-site training.
As a leading Sector Skills Council, Construction Skills understands the needs of employers and works to ensure a safe, professional and fully qualified workforce.
They provide advice, a variety of training courses and funding available to help improve construction businesses.
The Academy aims to combine national quality standards and the sharing of best practice principles to promote innovative training techniques in the industry and through a series of established partnerships across the nine English Regions.
Elevate is one of the government’s housing market renewal partnerships, charged with finding innovative solutions to the problem of low demand and housing market collapse in towns across Pennine Lancashire.
Elevate is working with public and private sector partners – including the local authorities of Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale - to improve economic prosperity, the environment, community safety, cohesion, educational attainment and health, to make Pennine Lancashire a place where people choose to live, work, visit and relax.
For more information about Elevate, please see www.elevate-eastlancs.co.uk or contact Rachael Farricker on 01254 304568.
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