Product category:
Partitions
News Release from: British Gypsum
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 03 October 2007
British Gypsum helps fill local skills
gaps
British Gypsum is helping to fill skills gaps on Leicester's building projects, through a unique training initiative to develop new careers in key areas such as partitioning and dry lining.
The new initiative was the brainchild of Citywide Construction, part of Leicester City Council, who were concerned that labour was being brought into the City to work on major developments, whilst local people with the potential to do the jobs were sitting on the unemployed register Because of its expertise in training, British Gypsum was called in to develop an initial 5-day assessment and basic skills course to give the trainees a grounding in dry lining skills, including partitioning, wall lining, suspended ceilings and finishing techniques
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 7 Jul 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The training course is recognised by the industry Sector Skills Council, ConstructionSkills, and was designed to count as evidence towards NVQ level 2 qualifications, so trainees would start to build their professional credentials from day one.
The initial 5-day course was scheduled over two weeks to enable trainees to stay within the 15 hours per week maximum training allowed in order to retain unemployment benefit entitlements.
Following successful completion of the course, trainees would then go on to do 13-week work placements with local fit-out contractors prior to finding permanent jobs working on projects around the City.
Based at Leicester College, British Gypsum's first pilot programme saw 24 unemployed people undergo training.
Arranged in groups of just 6 trainees to one British Gypsum instructor, the programme ensured maximum personal support for each trainee.
Of the initial group, 22 trainees went on to complete the 13-week work placement, and three have already gained full time job s as a result.
The pilot has proved so successful that CityWide Construction has planned two further courses in order to meet its first year commitment of training 60 persons - equivalent to half of the total number of vacancies identified with local contractors who will be involved in one project alone - the City's Highcross Quarter Development (formerly The Shires) which started in September 2007.
Potential trainees can apply for a place on one of the courses by contacting Citywide Construction on 0116 262 9075.
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