Building opportunities for the long term unemployed

The long term unemployed are to be given a helping hand into the construction industry thanks to a new training initiative devised by one of the UK’s leading business and construction services companies.

Two divisions of Carillion plc, Construction Training and SkyBlue have come together with the help of Nottingham-based WorkDirections to offer candidates the opportunity to become ‘work ready’ and find employment in the construction sector.

The two-week long ‘Introduction to Construction Training’ programme will provide long term unemployed people, interested in getting a step on the ladder in construction, with the skills to pass the CITB health and safety test and to obtain a CSCS trainee card – an essential prerequisite to working in the industry.

During the programme, candidates are to receive intensive training and mentoring from Carillion employees who are fully qualified instructors and assessors with first hand experience of working in construction.

Once completed, recruitment and labour suppliers SkyBlue will register candidates with a view to finding them employment in various areas of the industry.

“The programme will initially run in Nottingham but we hope to eventually go nationwide,” Jason Campbell, sector operations manager at SkyBlue, said.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to use our respective strengths in the fields of construction training and recruitment to provide an important social contribution to communities throughout the UK.”

The initiative has just begun this month (October) with WorkDirections providing suitable candidates for enrolment.

(MB/SP)