31st Jan 2006
LAUNCH OF CALDERDALE CONSTRUCTION SKILLS ACADEMY

The next generation of skilled tradespeople celebrated a groundbreaking initiative today, at the official opening of a dedicated Construction Skills Academy in Calderdale, solely for use by school pupils.

Boys and girls as young as 14 will spend two days a week at the Calderdale Construction Skills Academy in Mytholmroyd, near Hebden Bridge, to gain qualifications in joinery, bricklaying, building maintenance, electrical work and associated skills while continuing their academic studies at school. An early start onto the job ladder is expected to help address a national skills gap within the construction industry which is estimated to need to recruit 88,000 apprentices every year for the next five years to meet demand.

The innovative Academy, established by Halifax-based Calderdale College in partnership with four local secondary schools, is thought to be unique. It has been located in Mytholmroyd for easy access by Calder High School, Sowerby Bridge High School, Ryburn Valley High School and Todmorden High School and is part of a new Collaborative Framework within which educational organisations in Calderdale work together more closely. The Academy is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Learning & Skills Council, West Yorkshire who are funding the project with an initial grant of £200,000.

The Academy opened its doors in January and eighty pupils aged from 14 to 16 years are to benefit in the first 18 months with some moving on to modern apprenticeships. Year 10 pupils will follow two day’s training a week in their first year with an extra third day on placement during their second year. Girls are encouraged to take up places equally with boys, with a target of at least ten per cent of girls making up the learner total.

Officially opening the Calderdale Construction Skills Academy, David Pearce, Yorkshire Regional Chairman for the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and senior lecturer, Built Environment at Leeds Metropolitan University, applauded the project “As an industry we are struggling to train enough skilled people and we are having to recruit significant numbers from Eastern Europe to fill the gap”, he said. “That pressure to recruit will increase as we approach 2012 and the London Olympics. Construction work can be varied, interesting and very well paid and the provision of this training alongside school subjects is a fantastic opportunity for these young people”.

Principal of Calderdale College, Monica Box, said “Matching training with employment opportunities makes good sense and there are many young people who really benefit from combining hands-on vocational training with their school studies. We have forged strong links with employers who are backing us with sponsorship and this is an excellent example of how we can all work together to shape the future.”

Sponsors of the Calderdale Construction Skills Academy are The Chartered Institute of Building, CITB Construction Skills, Marshalls plc, Banson Tool Hire, Pennine Housing, Haven Building & Maintenance Ltd and Kalon Ltd.