Project to get more care leavers into construction industry receives £20,000 Construction Employability Award 2023/24

An ambitious scheme to find net zero-focused employment in the construction industry for young people who have grown up in care has received vital financial support from B&CE Charitable Trust.

The Trust has chosen YouthBuild Ventures UK Ltd to be the recipient of its £20,000 Construction Employability Award 2023/24 – which was formerly known as the Mowlem Award.

The award will enable the not-for-profit YouthBuild Ventures to provide training for 65 young people around manufacturer-led interior sector trades with additional modules in energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment. The London-based organisation has already supported more than 800 people to take their first steps in the construction industry.

The announcement comes as the Charitable Trust brings news of the 2024/25 application window for the award, which is an open grant that helps organisations enable new talent to get on in construction. The award is open to organisations that provide trade-specific training, apprenticeships, and access to skills development. The grant also assists those who offer support around mental wellbeing and personal disadvantages in the workplace.

Faye Sewell, Corporate Relationship Manager for the Charitable Trust, said: “The award’s judges were very impressed by YouthBuild Venture’s approach, which has already had such a positive impact on the futures of so many young people. The Construction Employability Award is uniquely focused on helping to create a pipeline of young talent for the construction industry and we look forward to receiving more innovative entries this year.”

On receiving the 2023/24 award, Shenaaz Chenia, the CEO of London-based YouthBuild Ventures UK Ltd, said: “We are thrilled to have received the Construction Employability Award as we believe it will make a genuine impact on the development of so many young people. The young people we serve – who we call ‘opportunity youth’ face huge challenges and barriers to get into work and are not connected to the net zero agenda. This is why we are determined to provide support and training that develops the skillsets and mindsets that prepare young people for careers in the green economy and the construction industry. This means that young people can directly contribute to building better, more sustainable homes for themselves and their communities.”

Applications for The Construction Employability Award 24/25 open 23 September 2024. Visit the Charitable Trust website for further details.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. YouthBuild Ventures UK is a not-for-profit set up to establish a unified, coordinated response to unemployed youth and labour shortages in the skilled trades. They engage with organisations and employers in the construction industry to encourage them to offer work opportunities to disadvantaged young people.
2. B&CE’s Charitable Trust was set up in 1991 to give back to the construction industry by providing help for people working in construction in times of need, including grants towards education, financial support and retraining. It has given out millions of pounds in charitable donations over the past 30 years.

For further information, please contact Blaise Tapp, media relations manager on 01293205336 or blaisetapp@peoplespartnership.co.uk.