EN:Able Futures, specialist apprenticeship services provider, and subsidiary of Efficiency North social housing consortium, is pleased to announce the launch of a new construction training hub which aims to provide 767 training opportunities and full-time employment for 291 people in deprived communities in the Humber region.
The new ‘Humber Construction Hub’ will be delivered alongside strategic partner Keepmoat with backing from the CITB’s Construction Skills Fund, the Government’s £22m initiative to set up 26 on-site construction skills training centres to help tackle the construction skills shortage in England.
The Humber Construction Hub will offer on-site training provision in an outdoor classroom and give access to live construction projects to support those who want to join the industry, particularly adult learners and the long-term unemployed, in the North of Hull and Grimsby, which are both amongst the most deprived areas in the country.
This pilot project is based on a site that has a significant build programme. Phase 1 of the build will run until 2022 with phase two running until 2029.
A range of 11 local providers including FE colleges and organisations working with NEETs, long term unemployed and ex-offenders will deliver the on-site training, aligned to the Humber LEP Industrial Strategy. Additional training providers currently working in Hull and Grimsby are to be confirmed.
The project supports Efficiency North’s long-term vision to provide opportunities for individuals in its member landlords’ communities who are furthest from the labour market through pre-employment development, work experience and apprenticeships to support social mobility.
Lee Parkinson, Chief Executive of Efficiency North, commented: “EN:Able Futures’ position in this important initiative continues the company's expansion into the provision of high quality training and apprenticeships through a site based construction skills hub. Our relationships with the construction supply chain will complement the delivery model and our experience in managing the region's shared apprenticeship scheme will assure the quality of the training provided. We are very much looking forward to developing the construction skills hub in Hull and we hope that it will be the first of others that we develop in the region and beyond.”
Sarah Beale, Chief Executive of CITB, said: “The Construction Skills Fund can be a genuine game-changer for both the construction industry and the individuals being trained. We have a massive need for homegrown talent and these projects will bring thousands of new people into our sector, giving them the crucial onsite experience they need to start a career in construction. These 26 hubs will be based at some of the most innovative sites in the UK, and CITB will be working hard to make sure they deliver the skills our industry critically needs.”