Military veterans and Service Leavers visited the Benwell Dene construction site in Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne, as part of the Building Heroes initiative.
National partnership housing specialist Lovell, which is building 146 homes at the development in partnership with build-to-rent developer Placefirst, hosted the visit last month.
Building Heroes is a UK charity supporting Service Leavers, veterans, and their families into skilled, sustainable careers in construction through the provision of short, intensive training programmes and employment transition support which connects learners with prospective employers in the sector.
The housing developer and Morgan Sindall Construction co-sponsor the Building Heroes five-week Multi Trade Construction Skills course at Darlington College through annual sponsoring donations, as well as providing site visits for learners. Collectively, the sponsoring partnership will host three more Building Heroes site visits this academic year.
Building Heroes Corporate Relationships Manager Helen Potter said:
“It is incredibly valuable for Building Heroes to have leading organisations like Lovell and Morgan Sindall Construction on side supporting the charity, sharing their expertise, demonstrating confidence in our learners, and recognising the transferable skills that Service Leavers and veterans bring to the construction industry.
“The real strength of visits like this lies in enabling learners to visualise their learning in a live environment. Seeing their newly developed skills being applied by professionals on an active construction site gives greater context and helps to bridge the gap from the workshop to the workplace.
“These experiences also give learners more clarity around potential career pathways. They build confidence, create opportunities to engage directly with trades and site management teams, and form an important part of preparing Building Heroes learners for successful transition to civilian life.”
The visit from the most recent Building Heroes cohort at Darlington College included a presentation from the project team, a site tour, and an on-site practical workshop which gave the learners a chance to get hands-on experience by doing some bricklaying.
The participants were joined on the Benwell Dene visit by Building Heroes Darlington Academy Leader Shamila Aslam and the main course tutor Alan Gibson. Representatives at the event included Contracts Manager Nick Mackinnon, Project Manager Greg Young, Assistant Site Manager Tom Robinson and Construction Secretary Helen Heckes, as well as Storm Tempest Health and Safety Consultant Antony Mekins, who is working with the development team on this site.
Feedback from the site visit was positive. One learner said:
“The team (Lovell) remained very professional throughout and gave us the opportunity to do the outdoor workshop… It was really informative and they made us feel like part of their team.”
Another said:
“It was really insightful…about how to get your ‘foot in the door’.”
Phil Jones, Director of Land and Partnerships for the North East region of Lovell, said:
“Partnering with and supporting Building Heroes is very important to us at Lovell.
“Providing opportunities for former military personnel to retrain and find new careers post-service not only shows appreciation for the service they have given but also helps the construction industry by increasing the number of skilled individuals available.
“Construction is a very good fit for former military personnel, as both require discipline, leadership and a practical approach.
“We were very happy to host the visit to Benwell Dene, and I hope that those taking part enjoyed it and found it useful.”
During the Building Heroes course, participants covered bricklaying, plumbing, plastering, tiling, painting and decorating, joinery, and health and safety.
They graduated from their course on Friday 13 February gaining a City and Guilds Level 1 Diploma in Basic Construction and a City and Guilds Level 1 Award in health and safety. They also gained their CSCS Green Card, which is a requirement for working on labouring duties on a building site.
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