A group of unemployed young people with an interest in the construction industry have been given an opportunity to experience the workplace for the first time by a leading decorating and DIY retailer. Leyland partnered with Barnardo’s and its Building Hope Academy to give five young people the chance to enjoy a work placement at its Clapham High Street store.
The Building Hope Academy delivers a construction skills-based course for 16 to 19-year-olds who are not in education or employment, or up to 25-years-old with an Educational Health Care Plan. The 30-hours work placement, carried out over the course of one or two weeks at Leyland, was designed to boost confidence while increasing knowledge around decorating, DIY and building materials.
Martin Hastings, CEO at Leyland, said “We are delighted to be able to support the Barnardo’s Building Hope Academy for a second year. The charity is helping young people progress into adulthood with hope and confidence. This small group of young people were at our Clapham High Street store, working under the guidance of manager Lee Brindley. They all did extremely well, taking part in unpacking deliveries, putting away stock and interacting with tradespeople. There is a huge shortage of construction workers in the UK. Hopefully this group has been inspired by the Barnardo’s course and will now be keen to pursue successful careers in the industry.”
Young people helped by the Building Hope Academy are able to obtain the Construction Skills Qualification up to Level 2, as well as health and safety awards and Functional Skills or a GCSE in numeracy and literacy.
Rebecca Knowles, Children’s Services Manager at The Building Hope Academy, said: “We are very grateful to Leyland for supporting our learners again this year. We work with young people who are often the furthest away from the labour market and we rely on the support of employers to provide them with meaningful experiences of the workplace. These five learners really enjoyed their time with Leyland and I have no doubt it has helped to increase their confidence in a working environment.”
Leyland has 35 stores in prominent locations across London, stocking a comprehensive range of thousands of products across all departments, including paint and decorating essentials, building materials, electrical fittings, tools and plumbing equipment.
Some of the biggest and best-known DIY brands are available at Leyland including Dulux, Johnstone’s, Leyland Trade, Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library, Tesa, CT1, Bosch, Purdy, Stanley, Ronseal and DEWALT.
Visit www.leylandsdm.co.uk for more information.
0 Comments