Fifteen unemployed young people in North Lanarkshire are getting hands-on experience in construction through an 11-week pilot that pairs employability support with time on a live building site. The Community Construction Partnership Programme is being highlighted during Scottish Careers Week, which runs from 9 to 13 November.

The pilot is coordinated by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and brings together North Lanarkshire Council, Routes to Work, New College Lanarkshire and industry partners, including housebuilder Cruden and CCG Construction. It is delivered at New College Lanarkshire’s Coatbridge campus, and every participant gets three days of on-site work experience with CCG at its 100-home Dunottar Avenue development in Coatbridge.

Support alongside the practical work

As well as the site experience, participants receive careers guidance, tailored CV support and mock interview practice. Routes to Work is helping them obtain their Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards, The King’s Trust is funding their personal protective equipment, and APEX Training is running a hands-on construction workshop. Developing the Young Workforce Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire has provided resources to help participants understand their payslips.

SDS careers adviser Anna Baird said all of the young people had been actively looking for work, but taking the first step can be difficult without experience. “They just need some extra support to build their confidence, gain experience, make those early connections and learn more about the opportunities available,” she said.

Employers behind the pilot

The programme grew from an idea by Cruden, which approached SDS about new ways of encouraging young people into construction and helped shape the pilot. Michael Palethope, community benefits manager at Cruden, said the company wanted to give more young people the chance to explore careers in construction and gain valuable experience of the industry. It is the first time Cruden has worked with CCG Construction on a local employability project.

Lynn Stodart, group HR manager at CCG (Scotland), said the company was proud to give participants practical experience in a live construction environment and to show the range of careers the industry offers. Among the participants, Kayla Walton, from Cumbernauld, said she would like to train in joinery, while Harper Crooks, from Newmains, said she hoped to become a bricklayer. The pilot is for young people already taking part; readers looking for similar routes can explore events and support on SDS’s My World of Work Scottish Careers Week pages.

Sources: Glasgow Times; Scottish Construction News.