We are the first construction contractor to host the Construction Skills Hub, ran with West Midlands Combined Authority, to give students in Wolverhampton real-life construction experience.
We designed and hosted a four-week programme to help students develop employability skills, improve their CVs and gain an insight in the world of work in construction. The programme consists of two weeks of work experience on our sites, where students learnt skills in bricklaying and groundworks. Following this, students achieved Level 1 Health and Safety and took their CSCS tests.
As a result of the course, all students secured interviews with local labour agencies within the construction industry - with over 30% securing full-time employment.
Shaun Hall, construction skills project manager at the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “We are very pleased to have set up the first on-site training hub in the Black Country, working together with Willmott Dixon and other partners to help local people gain new skills.
“This has been our most successful training hub so far. Over the last six months, more than 70 local people have gained new skills in civil engineering, and more than 30% of these have gone on to work in the industry.
“Willmott Dixon has been a keen supporter of the scheme, providing the facilities needed to host the hub and understanding the importance of delivering high levels of social value return to local communities.”
The programme has since been rolled out across the West Midlands on various construction sites.
