The Minster College Training Initiative
A Pioneering Partnership led by Stepnell Ltd that will look to ‘up-skill’ the supply chain and offer training opportunities to young people and adults in a construction environment.
The initiative will be a site based training environment which could provide the blueprint for flexible skills delivery in the construction sector.
The LSC funded initiative, kick-started by Stepnell being appointed main contractor for the £20m construction of the New Minster College, Leominster, has two principal objectives.
- The first objective aims to help ‘hard-pressed’ construction sector employees by extending access to training opportunities that directly meet their business requirements to create a deeper, better skilled pool of potential employees.
- The second is to provide access to a live site to students and others to promote construction and help attract the best into the industry.
Employers throughout the supply chain indicate that training on active construction sites represents the most accessible, flexible and cost effective method of skills support. The project is an opportunity to pilot a model that best suits the business needs and working practices of smaller construction employers. It will offer joined up skills and employment support that addresses skills gaps, improves workforce performance and productivity as well as providing valuable work experience and good communication within the community.
Stepnell are proud to be leading the development of this innovative project to both raise skill levels and promote careers in the construction sector. In challenging economic conditions for the industry it is essential that we as employers continue to invest in skills and develop the benefits of integration through involving our supply chain so that we can emerge from the downturn with the competitive edge as sharp as ever.
Learning on site is a direct response to employers needs for training that is accessible in terms of location and is practical and work-based for the smaller contractors, who often are unaware of the relevance of training.
Minster College are delighted to have students and staff involved in this exciting initiative. Leominster will certainly benefit from having a new state of the art high school and the wider local community will reap even greater and longer lasting benefits.
The Minster College believe in the value of lifelong learning and this links employers, providers and learners in the shared challenge of building a sustainable modern college.
If this initiative is successful it will be seen as an industry beacon of good practice which will be emulated elsewhere in the up-skilling and training of the construction industry supply chain.
For more information visit The Minster College Training Initiative website here.