Welsh building contractor, J.G. Hale Construction, has welcomed its third cohort of South-West Wales Onsite Construction Hub work experience placements to its Neath town centre site, being developed for Coastal Housing.
The South West Wales Onsite Construction Hub programme is funded by the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) Onsite Experience Commission, and designed to help tackle the skills gap within the construction industry.
The programme is coordinated by Cyfle Building Skills – an innovative initiative enabling young adults to gain sustainable employment within the construction industry.
The scheme will provide 780 onsite construction work experience opportunities, over a three year period, to candidates across five South Wales regions: Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, and Neath Port Talbot.
Each candidate is provided with a full mentoring programme, two weeks of onsite work experience, alongside all associated training and reskilling. The aim is to equip students to become work-ready for the construction sector.
After successfully completing their placement, each candidate is provided with a toolkit worth £150, equipping them for a future apprenticeship course and career in construction. They also receive a £200 course completion payment.
The programme is available for individuals aged 16 plus, either considering a career in construction or those looking for a change in career path. Opportunities are also provided for individuals who are not currently in education, training, or employment (NEET), or at risk of becoming economically disengaged.
Rhys Fisher, Cyfle Skills Academy Coordinator, said: “Work Experience is essential in any industry, and I have to thank everyone that has bought into it to provide these opportunities. It’s a fantastic pre-apprenticeship programme that provides an incentive for both the candidates and employers.”
To enable the project’s success, an extensive partnership has been created between Cyfle Building Skills, CITB, local colleges, local authorities, regional training groups, Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), housing associations like Coastal Housing, and contractors like J.G Hale Construction.”
David Harrhy, J.G Hale Group Managing Director, added: “It’s refreshing to see Cyfle’s Onsite Construction Hub — a new and innovative project supporting individuals on their route into construction. We are delighted at J.G Hale Construction to have already been able to facilitate placements on our Neath town centre development, in partnership with our client, Coastal Housing Group. We will continue to collaborate with our clients, to offer further opportunities across our developments.”
Clare Watkins, TR&T Manager at Coastal Housing, said: “Coastal Housing Group ensures that opportunities for apprenticeships, work and training are created as part of all our developments. We are pleased to be part of ensuring this latest cohort of young people interested in the construction industry have the opportunity to experience it first-hand at our Neath Town Centre project.”
J.G Hale’s Neath town centre development, will offer a mixture of 12 residential homes, and five commercial units, for client, Coastal Housing, and is due for completion during the Autumn of 2021.
Header image shows from left to right: Phil Bovington (Building Quality Inspector, Coastal Housing), Charlotte Griffiths (Training Coordinator, Cyfle Building Skills), Logan Beer (Carpentry Apprentice, Cyfle Building Skills), and Nia Collard (Business Development Officer, J.G Hale Construction).
