Twelve unemployed young people from Southampton have been given a head start on a career in construction, through a project supported by the Ford Southampton Community Fund.
The young people took part in a Get into Construction programme, which was delivered in partnership with City College Southampton and Southampton City Council, and within weeks of completion more than half of the group have already gone into employment or further training.
Thanks to two weeks’ training to develop the group’s confidence and give them valuable skills to equip them for a career in the construction industry, the young people also benefitted from real-life experience on a construction site. This not only gave them the chance to try their hand at carpentry, plumbing and bricklaying, but also work towards qualifications - including Asbestos Awareness and the Level One Health and Safety accreditation.
In addition to this, every single person on the course secured a CSCS card - an industry-essential qualification when working on a construction site.
Josh Carrel-White, 20, from Hythe, was offered a job straight after.
"The course gave me the industry skills I needed, including my CSCS qualification, so I'm well on my way with my career. The Prince’s Trust gave me all the support and help I needed and I also met loads of other interesting people. It was an all-round great experience and something I’d definitely recommend to others."
Sarah Stannard, Principal of City College Southampton, said: "We are delighted to be working collaboratively with The Prince’s Trust on this project. City College is very much about giving people the skills and support they need to start their careers and to ensure they are work-ready."
Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said:
