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News Release from: The Forum of Private Business | Subject: Equal access to skills
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 October 2007
Summit speaker will stress equal access
to skills
Delegates at the second Small Firms' Summit told that more needs to be done to create equal access to education and skills.
An entrepreneur, who gave up a career in IT to launch her own building company, will tell delegates at the second Small Firms' Summit that more needs to be done to create equal access to education and skills Janet Shelley, who was recently awarded an MBE, set up Women Builders at the age of 37 after struggling to find a training course that offered modern apprenticeships for people over the age of 25
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 7 Aug 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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As well as its building projects, the company trains workers in skills for the construction industry.
"Most of those who come through our training centre now are over the age of 25," said Mrs Shelley.
"Many are in their mid-30s and, like me, have decided to change career".
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"However, the Learning and Skills Council funds courses in a way that targets them at youngsters".
"Funding for the over 25s is discretionary".
The training centre, which is based in Milton Keynes, was opened in 2004 and offers a range of courses.
The company has won two European Social Fund bids through its local Learning and Skills Council, enabling it to train over 200 women in Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Her latest recruits, nine female students, recently achieved NVQs in Maintenance Operations after just 10 months of training.
Mrs Shelley, who will speak at the summit, to be held at Central Hall, Westminster, on Wednesday, 17 October has fought to increase access to the building trade for women and people who are over 25.
She is Chairman of Women and Manual Trades and Vice-Chairman of the Summit Skills and Diversity Interest Group.
She decided to become a builder after buying a house and indulging in a spot of DIY.
"After I took a circular saw to my staircase, I realised I wanted to do this as a job," said Mrs Shelley, who will call for greater collaboration between colleges and employers to create the right kind of courses".
""My approach has always been to get women involved who really want to be in the industry, whatever age they are".
"It's about the freedom to choose what industry they want to work in, not what they feel they should be doing".
The keynote speaker at the summit, which is being sponsored by Barclays, will be former Home Secretary and Education and Skills Secretary, Charles Clarke.
It will also feature workshops, debates on all the major business issues and a Parliamentary Reception.
There will be a charity auction in aid of the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) hosted by celebrity auctioneer Peter Ashburner.
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