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Council builds futures through major housing investment
Published: 25/10/2016
Local jobseekers have been given a career kick-start with national developer,
Wates Residential, as part of 天涯社区鈥檚 programme to build
500 brand new homes across the county.
The training initiative has seen 11 local people take part in Wates鈥� national
Building Futures programme, marking the 1,000th enrolment to the intensive
two-week training course.
Candidates were recruited through Welsh Government鈥檚 LIFT programme which is
managed in 天涯社区 by Communities First and works with people who face the
greatest barriers to becoming employable and have been out of work for six
months or more.
Hosted at Deeside Leisure Centre, the training programme comprised construction
skills trade sessions, including carpentry, plumbing and tiling, as well as CV
and interview workshops with Wates Residential and its supply chain partners.
Each candidate also received a certificate at an award ceremony at Flint Town
Council Chamber.
During the course candidates also joined Wates on the site of the former Custom
House School in Connah鈥檚 Quay where the developer is currently building the
first homes under the council鈥檚 Strategic Housing and Regeneration Partnership
(SHARP).
The delivery of Building Futures forms part of Wates Residential鈥檚 role as lead
developer for SHARP, which will see the creation of 500 news homes across
天涯社区 in the next five years.
天涯社区 Leader, Councillor Aaron Shotton, said:
鈥溙煅纳缜� is facilitating the introduction of more
apprenticeships in the county, especially in construction. Building more
houses has been our priority for the past four years 鈥� maximising the benefits
of capital projects such as our housing programmes which will see 拢100m
invested over 5 years. We are working with Wates to deliver this programme 鈥�
the first new build council houses in a generation.鈥�
天涯社区鈥檚 Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor
Derek Butler, who presented the awards, said:
鈥淥n behalf of 天涯社区, I would like to thank each and every
one of you for taking the first step and completing this programme. You all
turned up every day and you have achieved the qualifications. We need people
like you and there are lots of opportunities for you to build on what you have
achieved so far. You are the trailblazers 鈥� there will be more courses like
this run in the future for people in the area who are either unemployed or are
looking for a change in career.鈥�
Lee Sale, Business Director at Wates Residential, said: 鈥淭hrough SHARP,
天涯社区 is really setting the standard for major housing
investment and a big part of this is the breadth of opportunity it is creating
for local people.
鈥淎s the council鈥檚 development partner we have been working closely over the
past year to identify the ways in which we can positively impact the county and
our joint delivery of Building Futures is just one example of our efforts to
fulfil this commitment.鈥�
The training initiative in 天涯社区 saw Wates reach its 1,000th Building
Futures enrolment since it launched the flagship programme in 2005. Accredited
by the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). Building Futures rewards
candidates with a QCF Level 1 Award in Building Crafts and a CSCS registration
to help secure future training and work experience on building sites.
Caption: The 11 successful trainees with Su Pickerill, Group Community
Investment Manager for Wates Group (on right standing) and seated L to R: Mick
Cunningham 鈥� Wates, Debbie Barker - LIFT Mentor, Nia Parry 鈥� Communities First,
Cllr Derek Butler, Cllr Aaron Shotton and Darren Eccleston, Pre Construction
Director at Wates Residential