College bosses building bridges for construction students

NCBF president Tony Kay, left, with vice president Angela Cafrney, Simon Muschamp of Sunderland College, and NCBF secretary Neil Ramsey.

The Faculty of Construction at Sunderland College has teamed up with the Northern Counties Builders Federation (NCBF) with the aim of driving forward employment prospects for young trades people.

Together, they are staging an event – on May 20 – which will bring together NCBF members and the wider construction industry in the region to meet students learning to be electricians, plumbers, carpenters, joiners and bricklayers and now looking for a placement in industry.

The NCBF is a long-established trade association which aims to raise the profile of it’s members and support training and apprenticeships in the region’s construction sector.

NCBF president, Tony Kay, said: “A key aim of ours is to continue to promote the opportunities available to young people in the construction sector.

"Our first event, at Hartlepool College, attracted a range of organisations such as Kier Group, Hodgson Sayers, Applebridge Family, Geoffrey Robinson, Classic Masonry, Persimmon Homes and many more. It is clear local employers have a real desire to place

local students into the workforce.”

He added: “We want to continue to create a clear path of communication between young people looking to enter the trade and potential employers and that’s what we aim to do in Sunderland.”

“At Sunderland College we are looking forward to highlighting to employers that there is a local talent pool ready and eager to step into the workplace.

Simon Muschamp, faculty director for construction at Sunderland College, said: “We are really excited about hosting this event and having the opportunity to link our fantastic students with local and national employers.

"The overall aim of this event is to match students with employers for apprenticeships, industry placements and work experience.”

He added: “This is especially key with our upcoming move into our purpose-built Housing, Innovation, Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) centre which is currently being built on the Sheepfolds site.

"This will provide state-of-the-art facilities for learners to gain valuable skills in key, with the focus on apprenticeships and higher-level technical education.

To book for the event, go to [email protected]