Renovating council houses in Salford provides construction training for local people » Housing » 24dash.com

A Salford-based housing company is helping local people to find a job in the construction industry by letting them renovate council houses in the city as part of their training.

Salix Homes, Salford City Council's regeneration ALMO, has teamed up with B4Box, a new social enterprise scheme set up to give local people the skills and qualifications needed to get a job in construction.

As part of their hands-on training, which has been developed in partnership with ConstructionSkills, learners will work alongside fully qualified contractors to help fit kitchens, bathrooms and new doors in Salix Homes' managed properties in central Salford.

Once renovated, the properties will be rented out again as affordable housing for local people.

Salix Homes was set up by the council in July 2007 to manage 10,600 of it homes in central Salford. It is also responsible for helping to deliver regeneration in the area as part of a multi-million pound investment to bring houses up to the government's Decent Homes Standard.

The B4Box programme, supported by the industry sector skills council ConstructionSkills, gives trainees the opportunity to study to NVQ Level 2 and 3 as well as obtaining the correct certificates to become employable in the building trade.

Using a skills exchange system to train people, the programme allows people with skills but no qualifications to work towards becoming fully accredited by training others who are unskilled or who are working below their current skill set.

The new social enterprise will help to improve social inclusion and skills base across the city while reducing worklessness.

This year, 14 trainees have been awarded a place on the course, part of which takes place at Salford College.

Joe Willis, Director of Services in Neighbourhoods at Salix Homes said: "This project has opened up invaluable training opportunities for local people to help them into their chosen careers and we're delighted that we've been able to play a part in making it happen.

"Investing in local people is a key part of the regeneration of central Salford and as relatively new company ourselves it's important that we forge links with businesses that will benefit the community.

B4Box was set up in Salford by entrepreneur Aileen McDonnell after successfully running a similar project in East Sussex with Hastings Trust.

She said: "The investment in central Salford has created a lot of employment opportunities and it's important that local people have access to these.

"The majority of site workers enter the industry through informal routes, learn on the job and have no formal qualifications and joining forces with Salix Homes gives trainees valuable practical experience that employers in the construction industry are desperately looking for."

Phil Shipley, the ConstructionSkills Company Development Advisor who has worked with B4Box to develop a training Plan added: “B4Box will attract up to £3,500 of grant support for each adult learner, from ConstructionSkills, to invest in training.

“The tailored training programme we have worked with B4Box to devise will give the 14 learners the opportunity to work towards professional qualifications and will help to upskill them and the industry for the benefit of their future careers and will also help to develop other existing employees in the business.”