Pathway to Construction Tue, 08 October 2013 10 students from Tameside College have been offered the opportunity to gain work experience lasting up to ten weeks, thanks to the College and the B&CE Charitable Trust. B&CE was originally set up to provide financial assistance to construction workers and their families. In 2013 the Trust kindly offered £10,000 to assist students and fund their work experience placements. Local employers from Tameside and Greater Manchester were invited to an event at Tameside College held by the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force (CCATF) and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Employers had the chance to learn more about the Pathway to Success Scheme and to get introduced to Tameside College’s best students from the Construction Department. The students put forward by the College for the scheme were in their first year of training in brickwork, carpentry and construction civil engineering. Both the employers and students are supported throughout the placement in order for the placements to be transformed into fully-employed apprenticeships.Richard Gleaves, Head of Built and Natural Environment at Tameside College said, “Tameside College is excited and pleased to be involved in this exciting project with CCATF. It will be of great encouragement to students and the College will be able to provide a steady supply of skilled trainees into meaningful experiences with recognised employers, who are committed to supporting the development of the local workforce of the future. The College looks to a long and mutually fruitful partnership in supporting the CCATF initiative.”Geoff Lister CBE, Chairman of the CCATF said, “The CCATF is committed to doing everything it can to help encourage all employers in the industry to re-establish a training culture as soon as possible. Pathway to Construction helps the employers and young people involved test the water before committing to a full apprenticeship programme. In almost every case, apprenticeships are a great launch pad for a successful career in construction and are great for businesses."
