Nottingham construction firm Woodhead is partnering with social enterprise scheme BEST (Broxtowe Education, Skills and Training) and BESTBuild to offer residents in Broxtowe the opportunity to get into construction with 20 free training places which will enable people to explore a career within the construction industry.
Woodhead is currently building four new bungalows on Denton Green where two former council homes have been demolished. The project is being delivered on behalf of Nottingham City Council (NCC) and Nottingham City Homes (NCH) as part of the Building a Better Nottingham programme.
Woodhead are using apprentices and tradespeople from BESTBuild, which is based just across the road from the site and was established in 2010 to provide construction employment and apprenticeship opportunities for local people. Site managers and experienced tradespeople from Woodhead are on hand to guide the trainees, providing them with valuable site experience, as well as sharing their skills and knowledge.
In addition Woodhead and BEST are now offering 20 training places to people from Broxtowe and Aspley Estates who are aged over 16 and interested in working in construction. The training which will take place on 12th December, is being funded by Woodhead, BEST and BESTbuild and will involve a one day health and safety course which will prepare attendees to apply for a CSCS card, which will also be paid for. A CSCS card is required by all tradespeople to work on a building site and will be a valuable tool in order to pursue employment opportunities.
Site manager for Woodhead Tony Robinson said: “We are committed to supporting the local communities in which we work and this is especially important in Broxtowe. By partnering with BEST and BESTBuild to deliver this training we hope that we will be able to inspire local people to explore opportunities within construction.
“We will also be offering three of the successful trainees the opportunity to come onto the Denton Green site for a week’s work experience so that they can add some practical experience to their CVs and gain a written reference, which they will hopefully be able to use to access employment. We are also working with a leading construction recruitment firm who are willing to take CVs from all the trainees who gain their CSCS cards.”
Anna Mimms is chief executive at BESTbuild. She believes that local employment for local people is key to giving the Broxtowe community a sense of ownership and pride: “At BESTbuild we aim to teach transferable workplace skills, encourage a positive work ethic and empower local people to take control of their own lives. This CSCS training will open doors for local people and for those who want to work in construction it could be the first step towards employment.”
The training will take place on 12th December 2014 at BEST, anyone interested in finding out more about the opportunity should contact BEST Training on 0115 975 0084. Places are limited to 20 and will be offered on a first come first served basis.
Pictured: BEST Apprentices ready to start on site at Denton Green