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New construction centre welcomes 1st trainees.
Hewlett Civil Engineering’s purpose built i54 training centre, aimed at boosting the skills of the unemployed and trades people working in the West Midlands construction industry, has officially welcomed its first trainees.
The 12 local men aged between 20 and 50 have all been out of work for over 6 months and have been referred to Hewlett by either Job Centre Plus or through the company’s links with local colleges.
The group have commenced a two week intensive training course on either Dumper and Roller Handling or Roads and Streetworks at Hewlett’s i54 Training Centre on Wobaston Road in Wolverhampton - a 5 acre (2 hectare) site that replicates the operational environment of a ‘live’ construction site and provides facilities for a range of accredited training and assessment courses.
Training Manager at Hewlett Civil Engineering, Steve Vickers says: “We are delighted to welcome our first group of trainees to i54. Each of the trainees have differing skills, career backgrounds and experience but most importantly they all have an interest in the construction industry and the drive to work. During the next two weeks they will be developing new skills, broadening their knowledge and understanding of the industry and narrowing down the direction that they want to take their future career. It will put them in a stronger position to find future work.
“It’s with thanks to our partners, Advantage West Midlands that we can offer this facility which we believe boasts not only the very best location but also the range of courses to meet the needs of the industry and the people working within it. We believe the training we provide here will not only help drive up employment in the area and beyond but will also open up the construction industry to new workers other than the ‘traditional’ builder giving many more people the opportunity to gain the skills needed so they can take advantage of new job opportunities.”
One of the trainees said: “I’ve been out of work for a while now and I wasn’t seeing any sign of my job-seeking efforts coming to fruition. I decided to re-think my career path and that’s when I was told about Hewlett. I’m looking forward to learning a new set of skills which will hopefully lead to better job prospects.”
i54 offers relevant hands-on training programs including road and streetworks packages, accredited plant training and skills training for operatives with other considerations such as health and safety being brought into the subject as relevant.
The training courses are aimed at those currently employed in the construction industry along with local unemployed people looking to directly benefit from learning new skills and gaining vital work experience alongside a formal construction environment.
Steve Holland, AWM Partnerships Director, said: “We are pleased to be able to support Hewlett in providing training in civil engineering skills that will support construction jobs in the Black Country and the wider region.
“Supporting people into work and business growth has to be a priority for us all. We must equip people with the skills to find employment and provide industry standard learning that matches the needs of businesses and provides them with job-ready employees. The construction industry is a key component to the sustainability and growth of the economy in the Black Country both now and in the future.”