Gloucestershire
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Worcestershire based house builder Lioncourt Homes has given the Sandwell community a boost by providing local people with a variety of job opportunities on their Brewers Meadow site at Mill Lane, Langley.
Working closely with Think Sandwell, Lioncourt have been able to offer Kickstart scheme funded roles – giving those aged between 16-24 on Universal Credit the opportunity to work in construction. The Kickstart scheme, partly funded by the Government, has helped enable young people to gain an insight into working on a building site, first-hand. This experience can help people gain valuable training, improve confidence and assists those seeking a career in construction to start building a relevant skillset.
A total of 6 positions have been made available at Oldbury to date, alongside 4 work experience placements. Young people have been able to participate in roles, including plastering, bricklaying, decorating and general Labouring.
Karen Richards, Community Benefits and Social Value Impact Officer, Sandwell Council, commented: “From the onset of the site works at Oldbury, Think Sandwell have established a great working relationship with Lioncourt Homes – creating good outcomes, supporting social value and employment within the borough.
Think Sandwell, a part of Sandwell Council, supports all social value commitments agreed in planning conditions for house builds or contractual tenders. This is primarily a great way to introduce local people into the construction world of working. Many residents start from work experience opportunities, showcasing their skills or being supported with their upskilling, which can develop into an apprenticeship or job offer. Whatever the outcome – it is always a positive step towards achieving their end goal!”
Liz Macklin, HR Manager, Lioncourt Homes, commented: “I am overjoyed at the success we have had at Brewers Meadow. Social Value and local employment are incredibly important to us – we love getting involved, giving back where we can and creating a legacy. The site located at Mill Lane was in desperate need of regeneration, and we are delighted to have been able to offer local people the opportunity to work with us in building this much needed housing development.
Working closely with Think Sandwell has been an excellent experience and has given us exposure to the local employment market, which allowed us to reach those in need of the opportunities we were offering. Our sub-contractors continue to be extremely willing to get on board which has assisted us with the process, and we have received fantastic feedback from the young people who have joined us.
In the long-term, as we grow our business, using Brewer’s Meadow as a template of success, we are aiming to shape and form our own Employment and Skills plan for every development, which will include offering apprenticeships and work experience to job seekers within all the local communities we operate.”
