Construction Skills Training Centres

In an industry that employs 2.5 million people in the UK and has predicted the need for another 350,000 by 2010, Carillion takes an invested interest in the quality of skills and the availability of training for construction workers. In direct response to this, Carillion operates 18 Construction Training Centres throughout the UK that currently employ 3,000 staff and apprentices. The Training Centres offer a range of different courses to help people into the construction industry and to continue skills development. The services provided are split into two business streams; Adult Training Solutions and Construction Training for Apprentices.

The most introductory form of training is a two-week course set up for adults who have no previous experience in the construction industry. The course gives them the basic qualifications, experience and knowledge they need to get an entry-level job in construction. Since many of the clientele for these courses come from disadvantaged groups, this is a valuable, enabling step forward into employment. The centres are also important assets for Local Employment Partnerships, which have specific requirements for social responsibility from employers.

The next step from this is the obtainment of a skilled NVQ and training for this level of qualification for experienced construction workers is a large and growing part of the business. Carillion Training Services will provide the necessary training for experienced construction workers and assessments will be carried out by qualified Carillion Assessors. The most important outcome is attainment of the correct CSCS Card, which is a minimum requirement to work on a construction site.

The Carillion Apprenticeship Scheme also designs courses for the younger generations entering the workforce. Marketing and recruitment is carried out at schools and a selective application process is necessary to manage numbers. Unlike college courses however, the successful applicants are employed by Carillion receiving a basic salary and benefits package to enable them to travel to the centre and take part in the course.

The core clientele for this type of training are 16-19 year olds, straight from school and looking for work. On the course they will learn about Health and Safety on site and gain practical experience in trades such as carpentry, painting and decorating, and bricklaying. On completion of the course they will be one of the many thousands who get a qualification through one of the Carillion Training Centres

The apprentice scheme is designed to train participants towards NVQ level 2, and some will go on to achieve level 3. Carillion will organise work placements for each of the apprentices in various different trades on local development sites. 90% of the apprentice employers now tend to be repeat business with some of these people having gone through the apprentice scheme themselves, forming strong, long-term relationships. The placement officers have regular contact with various development sites which also means that training courses can be tailored to the specific needs of an employer, by refining the set of skills training that would be required for a specific project.

The Adult Training Solutions stream also offers training in associated industries such as facilities management and workers in healthcare, since these services are also provided by Carillion. The training is again designed to help employees gain an NVQ level 2 in their chosen profession, which supports Carillion’s policy that all Carillion staff should reach NVQ level 2.

The location of the Training Centres has logically developed by being placed close to workforce demand. In response to the large amount of development in the Kings Cross area, a new training centre has been set up. Currently this is run from a temporary building, with a brand new building across the road to be completed by Carillion in May 2009. This centre is situated in a hot spot for construction work and most courses are over-subscribed. This enables Centre Managers to cherry pick the applicants to the introductory courses, which in turn, has enabled a 90% first time pass rate.

The courses at this centre are funded by a number of local initiatives such as Kings Cross Working, which links directly into local Job Centres and Equal Engage, a charity that helps ex-offenders get back into work. The Prince’s Trust also provides funding and clientele.

In other locations, Carillion may not own the centre building. At Sutton in Ashfield for instance, a partnership was set up with a local school that provided the premises for a training centre and in turn, received free training for pupils at that school. Year 10 students receive training of brickwork, plastering, tiling, painting and decorating for two sessions a week over the course of the year giving them an early insight into the industry. One school pupil commented,

“I think it is great to do training in the building trade while still at school, because this is what I want to do when I leave”.

For the remaining days the centre is used for normal apprenticeship courses and will provide an exit route for pupils leaving the school to enter the construction industry.

The Training Division is an efficiently run, profit-making business. With some of the centres having been established for 35 years, the division now has a wealth of knowledge and experience. It also brings Carillion a turnover of £25 million a year and is one of the key sources of employment for Carillion illustrating that social sustainability can be cost-effective. In a wider context, this commitment to skills development creates a loop in which Carillion provides a service to individuals and in turn benefits indirectly by providing skilled workers to the UK construction industry.