Dozens of ambitious construction students will now be able to gain access to building sites and hone their skills thanks to a new partnership that has seen them qualify for an industry-standard accreditation.
Without an official Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) green card, workers are not allowed onto a ‘live’ building site. For years this has caused problems for students who are eager to hit the ground running but are unable to gain access to the workplace due to red tape and the wait for further accreditation.
Thanks to a new partnership between the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Learning and Skills Academy CIC, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, West Northamptonshire Council, North Northamptonshire Council, Northampton College, Moulton College and three local Job Centre Plus offices, 54 Northampton College students have qualified for fully funded CSCS cards – giving them the ability to experience the real-world workplace.
A further 135 learners are currently going through the training process.
A celebration ceremony held at Northampton College’s Booth Lane campus saw all the stakeholders come together to meet the successful students and hear more about their journeys.
Lola Carder, a 19-year-old T Level student who is now enjoying a work experience placement with Winvic Construction where she is working as a quantity surveyor, said: “I originally took A Levels but it wasn’t for me. I was working full time in a café before switching to T Levels and it’s been amazing, particularly the networking side of it and having access to so many industry professionals.
“Being able to visit actual sites has opened so many doors. It’s a crucial part of it because without having an idea of what’s going on outside on the site I can’t do my job as effectively on the inside. Being able to get my green card is a huge moment for me and I’m looking forward to the future.”
The collaboration aims to cut the number of young people who are termed as ‘economically inactive’ by proving them with skills, work experience and employment opportunities while supporting employers to have a pipeline of "job ready" potential recruits.
Tony Knaggs, managing director of the Learning and Skills Academy CIC, said: “This initiative has been developed through UKSPF funding, and has already helped dozens of learners. For these young people, getting their CSCS green cards will mean they can go on site for the work experience part of their T level learning to do "real work" and therefore increase their employment opportunities.
Mark Bradshaw, curriculum manager for construction at Northampton College, said: “For all of our courses, whether it’s an apprenticeship or a T Level, there is an onus on employers to provide people with a "licence to practice" but they are either not funded, or available, in mainstream further education, so many young people are facing challenges when trying to enter the world of work.
“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone involved in this project which is giving our learners the chance to qualify for their CSCS green cards which would otherwise cost in the region of £300. It’s making a huge difference and means they can get out there and showcase their skills to potential employers.”
