JOBLESS people in Kirklees have improved their skills after completing a construction training scheme.
Seven trainees from the Pathway into Landscaping programme and six from the Trainee Assessor programme were presented with awards by Kirklees councillor Molly Walton under schemes supported by the council-backed Build organisation.
Both programmes were part of the “b-best” project funded by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward under the West Yorkshire Investment Plan.
The trainees gained valuable work experience and qualifications in their chosen fields and some have secured employment or gone on to further training.
Among them, Gavin Woodworth has been working at Beaumont Park on the landscaping programme for the past few months.
The Pathway into Landscaping programme started in April. Trainees gained practical knowledge by working alongside staff based at various parks and open space venues across Kirklees during a 20-week course.
They were also helped towards a Level 1 NVQ qualification accredited by Bishop Burton College, Beverley, followed by help to gain employment search training in order for them to promote themselves with local landscaping and horticulture businesses.
The Trainee Assessor Programme started earlier this year and gave unemployed qualified construction craft operatives the opportunity to become qualified assessors in the construction industry. The course involved vocational training and shadowing qualified assessors.
Kirklees Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan said: “It was a real honour to be asked to present the awards to the trainees. Build provides a very important function in Kirklees by offering unemployed people training opportunities and work experience
“A lot of hard work goes into getting the trainees through their courses and a large number of people play an important role in this including course tutors, mentors, local construction companies and council staff. This event was an opportunity to also acknowledge all the hard work that Build and its partners do.”.
Diane Maxwell, director of Lapis Mindset, a coaching and development company and partner of “b-best” said: “We were involved in supporting the trainees to work towards achieving their qualifications as well as identifying suitable work placements for them to gain work based evidence for their portfolios.
“Build does some amazing work. They put a lot of effort and hard work in to getting the most ‘hard to reach’ individuals into training and employment.”
Build is a local purchasing and local labour initiative for the construction industry in Kirklees. It is part of Kirklees Council and seeks to ensure that local residents and local construction businesses benefit fully from construction development projects in the district.
