Conlon Construction has signed an Employment and Skills Pledge with Lancaster City Council to raise aspirations and support employability within the local community.
Conlon Construction is the first employer to sign the council’s pledge, which will see the contractor partner with a variety of organisations to ensure that local people are given education and training opportunities that enable them to gain meaningful employment.
The Employment and Skills Plan (ESP) forms part of Conlon Construction’s ongoing development at Lancaster University, where it is currently working on a major extension to the site’s sports hall.
Introduced as part of council planning conditions, the main contractor must provide an ESP on any development more than 1,000m2 or 20 houses.
The 1,347m2 sports centre extension will house several full-size sports courts, including a basketball court and eight badminton courts. The £4m project will provide additional recreational facilities for the university, as well as local residents, and work is due to complete in time for the 2020 Roses event.
In signing the skills pledge, Conlon Construction has confirmed that the sports hall development will use local labour and that Lancaster residents will be prioritised for training and apprenticeships.
This latest initiative further demonstrates the contractor’s commitment to training and development. Conlon Construction has long supported those classed as NEET (not in education, training or employment), offering apprenticeships and providing work placements for those struggling to find employment. It also partners with Preston Vocational Centre, helping to give young people aged 14-19 the chance to train in construction, and Calico’s Shared Apprenticeship Scheme.
Neil Conlon, of Conlon Construction, said: “We’re proud to be involved in the very first Lancaster ESP and leading the charge around futureproofing industry pipelines and ensuring those in our sector leave a lasting social value beyond the build.
“We’ve always been committed to supporting local residents by giving back to the communities we work in. In signing this pledge, we’re focused on providing a positive outcome for Lancaster, helping local people learn industry skills and access clear pathways into employment, as well as raising aspirations and shaping the next generation of construction talent.”
Councillor Tim Hamilton-Cox, cabinet member for economic development and regeneration at Lancaster City Council, added: “It is great to see the first employment skills plan for the Lancaster district being adopted with such positivity. This is the first of many small benefits to delivering skills and training for both apprentices and existing workers in the local construction industry.”
David Griffiths, project manager at Lancaster University Facilities Division, concluded: “Conlon Construction’s site team and management are delivering a very professional construction site with health & safety and quality being paramount – their communications with Facilities and with Sports Centre staff to keep staff/students informed on what is happening on weekly basis is excellent”
