As part of our work within the Wolverhampton area, we have launched a new 6-week fully funded traineeship programme which has been specifically designed for NEET (Not in education, employment or training) 16-18 year old teenagers in the surrounding area to help propel their career within the construction industry.
The programme, which will be based at The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton, will aim to help tackle youth unemployment in the area and will be run through the JTL scheme, which is one of the largest work-based learning providers in England and Wales.
Michelle Cree, employability manager at JTL training, said:
“JTL is pleased to be working alongside Willmott Dixon to offer learners worthwhile and varied work experience on site whilst completing their traineeship. This provides the students with great insight into a range of roles within the construction industry and the skills used, whilst also allowing them to put their new health and safety knowledge to test in a real-life environment.
“Willmott Dixon has spoken to each of the participants to ensure that they are matched with the most suitable site and tasks to enable the learners to progress in the field they are interested in. This is a great opportunity for local learners to develop skills that may help them into employment or further education.”
Working together to achieve a greater impact
The programme will be running from 2nd August 2021 and the first week of the programme will focus on introductions to the course and into the construction industry. In weeks 2 and 3 of the course, the students will visit one of two live sites; our Willmott Dixon Interiors Wolves Civic Hall project and our Willmott Dixon Construction Marches project to complete their work experience. The students will work with the contractor’s supply chain partners, and our team to help develop their skills and learning within the industry with the end goal of securing further education, an apprenticeship or employment.
The last two weeks of the course will focus on employability; with CV writing workshops, interview skills/technique sessions and mock interviews. The group will also be working towards their Health and Safety Level 1 certificates, with an opportunity to gain their CSCS cards.
Jayne Anderson, Willmott Dixon Interiors Assistant Social Value Manager, said:
“We are looking forward to working with the cohort of learners and partnering with JTL, giving the group experience with industry professionals as well as the opportunity to gain their Level 1 H&S and their CSCS Card. Our site teams are looking forward to having them as part of the team for the Work Experience element of the programme and I hope that the learners take full advantage of this fantastic opportunity and go on to have successful careers in the construction sector.”
The final week of the programme will focus on the next steps, where Willmott Dixon Construction and Interiors social value team will support the students to apply for further education, training or employment based on the achievements and qualifications they have gained following completion of the traineeship.
Jordan Rees, Willmott Dixon Construction Assistant Social Value Manager, said:
“We’re very excited for the launch of the traineeship programme in Wolverhampton and look forward to seeing how the participants progress over the coming weeks. As part of the course, we will be helping the NEET teenagers to kickstart their careers in construction, and up-skilling the future generations. All of the programmes we have been involved in with JTL have been successful for the students in enabling a career within construction and I’m hoping this will be the same.”
