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Hewlett more than doubles its Leeds training capability with £250,000 investment.
For more than 10 years Hewlett Civil Engineering has been providing quality training and advice to its employees and the construction industry from its Cross Green facilities in Leeds. Now thanks to an increased demand for industry related training and apprenticeships, the company has invested in a major refurbishment of its training facilities, adding 14 new classrooms which more than doubles its training capacity.
To date, Hewlett has successfully trained thousands of apprentices and people working within the construction industry, of whom a significant proportion are their own employees. Despite the economic downturn, the company has continued to invest in training with more than £250,0000 being spent on creating the new classrooms which according to Training Manager Steve Vickers “gives Hewlett the capacity now to take a fresh look at training.”
He goes on to say: “While our commitment to training is nothing new, our refurbished facilities at Cross Green offer us the perfect opportunity to build on our training strategy. As an award winning employer that is committed to staff development, we recognise the need to continually update skills levels and to ensure that future skills gaps are addressed now. To this end, we are proactively encouraging applications from potential apprentices as well as working closely with a number of schools and further education establishments to promote the construction industry as a future career choice.”
Hewlett is also focusing its efforts on helping career changers to acquire the skills and qualifications they need to secure employment within the construction sectors and is working closely with Leeds Ahead to offer full time employment for young people who are currently facing the barriers of unemployment.
In the current year the training arm of the company will achieve a turnover of £2million. Following on from the success of Cross Green, the company has ambitious plans to expand its operations nationally while simultaneously launching additional courses and has recently started preparation works at a training centre based at the i54 site on Wobaston Road near the M54 in Wolverhampton. The site will replicate the environment of a live construction site whilst demonstrating best construction practice.
The company is adamant that it is essential to maintain a positive attitude towards recruitment and training, particularly during tough economic times. It sees training as an essential investment in the future of the company and the future of the construction industry. With a constant flow of new apprentices and existing trainees developing their skills and being promoted within the company, Hewlett has developed a highly skilled workforce that is constantly benefitting from updated industry knowledge combined with practical on the job training.
Continues Steve Vickers: “We are committed to ensuring employment and training opportunities from this investment at Cross Green and in the Midlands are captured by the unemployed along with those already working in the industry.
“Few people would contest the statement that ‘training is an investment’. For Hewlett it is an investment in the future, one which it is essential for the company to undertake in order to meet the continually growing demand for skilled personnel to handle the ever increasing pace of change.
“We recognise the long term gains to be made by investing in training and one of the key challenges facing our business is to increase investment in training now to help to improve the company’s competitiveness and sustain business growth.”
The training offered at Cross Green is focused on Civil Engineering, with a wide range of construction plant training being offered to CPCS standards. Much of it is also relevant to other sectors including power generation, waste management, utilities, haulage, manufacturing and minerals extraction. The 10-acre training facility is the largest construction training area in Yorkshire, offering varied terrains and conditions to carry out instruction and assessments. It reflects 'live’ site conditions and is ConstructionSkills, City and Guilds, LANTRA and EDEXCEL accredited.
Hewlett has built a reputation for providing class-leading civil engineering and construction services. With this continued investment in training and skills growth, the company aims to improve further on its market leading standards of expertise.
For further information about Hewlett log onto www.hewlett.co.uk