Building Futures is a national vocational training programme that provides both adults and young people with the opportunity to gain the basic skills required to work on a construction site. The programme is accredited by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) with the participants gaining a unit award qualification. At the end of the programme, the participants are supported to pursue either further training or move into employment. Recently, the Building Futures scheme was launched in Rotherham, aiming to help local unemployed young people who had been struggling to get into work. Run by Wates Living Space in partnership with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Learning World, the week‐long programme saw ten young people, aged 16+, to learn a variety of practical construction skills, including joinery, brickwork and groundwork. They also had the opportunity  to see the inner workings of building site and spent a day on the Rother View Road construction site, on which Wates is building 29 new houses and apartments for the Council.

The launch programme drew to a close with the participants putting their newly learnt skills to the test by undertaking some improvement works on the grounds and gardens at Canklow Woods Primary School. The works carried out were long overdue and had previously been attempted by school parents who lacked the construction expertise to complete them.

All the participants were rewarded for their efforts with accredited Building Futures certification and will be completing an application for their CSCS  ards, which serve as proof of occupational competence and will allow them to work on building sites in the future. Ultimately the successful initiative aims to provide jobseekers with the skills and motivation to return to work.

Pearson in Practice provided training and taster experiences in the construction trades, as well as matching the jobseekers to employed apprenticeship opportunities with local construction firms.

It was always our intention to utilise our presence in Rotherham to create learning opportunities for young people and help them to improve their employability and our Building Futures programme has done exactly that. I am so pleased we have been able to work with the Council and Learning World to deliver the scheme and invest in the Canklow community. All participants have been brilliant and done a great job at the Primary School, so I am confident a glittering construction career awaits them.

Joanne Jamieson, Wates Living Space Business Unit Director

Chris Sykes who completed the Building Futures course added:
“It was great to be offered the opportunity to learn new skills on a course that would ultimately lead to a new career. Overall I really enjoyed the  programme and it opened my mind to the different types of construction I could get involved in. This was just what I needed – I would definitely recommend the course to others.”

Ben Cressey, Pearson in Practice:
“We were impressed with the Building Futures programme and how it provides real, tangible outcomes for learners. Given Pearson in Practice's  experience in delivering training and learning, partnering with the Wates Living Space and the Council was a natural solution.”

“Throughout the design and implementation, we worked closely with the Wates Living Space team in order to design learning opportunities and experiences that would give a real insight into the construction industry. Building on our own experience of delivering high quality apprenticeships and vocational learning, we were able to add value to the Building Futures programme by providing training facilities, learning programmes and helping to match the learners to local construction companies who are considering taking on apprentices.”

“The partnership between Wates Living Space and Pearson in Practice has been excellent and I look forward to replicating the programme for job seekers wherever required.”