CCURV

Eight people living within the borough of Croydon have been taken on as full time employees by four sub-contractors working on the Bernard Weatherill House (BWH) development site in Croydon, following a two week, pre-employment work experience scheme.

 

The recruitment and training of local people is one of a number of activities that have been implemented by CCURV (a joint venture between John Laing and Croydon Council that is leading the construction project) and Sir Robert McAlpine (main contractor for BWH) that aim to create employment opportunities for the local community and support local people in developing employable skills.

 

Following a pre-selection process and initial training day held last November, 10 out of 21 local people, who were not in employment, education or training (NEETs), were selected to take part in the pre-employment scheme later that month that would not only provide work experience for the candidates but also logistics and basic site training. Some of the candidates showed strong commitment and excellent progression during the two week course and, as a result, eight people have now been taken on as full time employees by site sub-contractors Focchi Ltd (three placements), Alandale Logistics (four placements), MPG (two placements) and A C Beck (one placement).

 

David Noakes (24), who lives a walk away from the BWH site, was recently appointed fixer’s mate at Focchi Ltd, the company sub-contracted to design, manufacture and install the project’s curtain walling (the outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural). David is part of the site’s glass fitting team.

 

David said: “I feel extremely privileged to be given not only a job but also the opportunity of a career. I had been looking for work for a while and was becoming increasingly anxious about not finding a job. However, the pre-employment scheme has provided me with the basic skills on which to build a career, and a job with Focchi Ltd is just the beginning. I believe that if there were more schemes like this available to people, there would be less unemployment in the UK.”

 

Following his success on the pre-employment scheme, Dorian Scott-Francis (23) from Upper Norwood, now works as a labourer with MPG, the company subcontracted to provide internal fit-out and external construction solutions for the development project.

 

Dorian said: “Having been informed of the pre-employment scheme through Job Centre Plus, I was keen to learn a new skill that might lead to work. Little did I expect that, through the scheme, I would be starting a new job only a few weeks later! The scheme is unique because it understands the different backgrounds of everyone taking part and provides each person with an opportunity that is best suited to them.”

 

On average, the BWH site employs between 17% and 22% of local people per month - a consistently high figure, which is steadily increasing due to the commitment and support from the project’s sub-contractors for initiatives such as the pre-employment scheme.

Councillor Tim Pollard, Croydon Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said:  “We are very pleased that a key intention of our aims for this project is being realised through providing job opportunities for local people”.

 

The 25 year partnership between the council and John Laing will provide the phased regeneration of a number of sites across the borough.  CCURV commenced work on the Waddon leisure and housing project in December 2010 and is progressing to schedule. The redevelopment of College Green and Taberner House will follow in due course.

 

CCURV is looking at numerous other council owned sites across the borough in order to establish what values and regeneration benefits can be achieved through their delivery.