Good Idea: Construction skills lay firm foundations for the future

Provider London Youth
Name Build-it

Occasionally an idea comes along that benefits various groups of people, potentially for generations. London Youth’s Build-it scheme is one such idea, which tackles youth unemployment, improves inter-generational relationships and delivers social housing – in one fell swoop.

Launched last month in the London borough of Lambeth, the project has already been piloted on national television as part of the Channel 4 documentary, The Secret Millions. The success of the trial, during which a group of young people brought a derelict house back to use, was rewarded with £1.7m of Big Lottery funding to extend the project. Over the next two years, 1,500 16- to 25-year-olds will be offered the chance to train in construction and renovate 40 empty properties in Lambeth. Once completed, the houses will provide homes for those eligible for social housing.

The first cohort of the project, a group of 14 young men aged 17 to 23, are nearing the end of their four-week placement. All former students who dropped-out of college, they have spent up to two days each week at Lambeth College – a project partner – studying to achieve a Construction Skills Certificate Scheme card. This is the minimum qualification needed to get a job on a UK construction site, meaning the young people will have increased chances of finding employment after the project ends.

Rosie Ferguson, chief executive of London Youth, says this method of learning is particularly suitable for people who have been disengaged from education. “It’s a practical way for them to learn and make a difference at the same time,” she says. “As they progress on the programme they can get accreditation in different aspects, such as Level 1 painting and decorating or plumbing.”

Ferguson adds that funding for the project will be spent on outreach officers to find disengaged young people. Recruiters will work with local partners, such as youth homelessness charity Centrepoint and Jobcentre Plus, to locate suitable candidates. They will also scour youth clubs and housing estates for young people who are out of work or education. Ferguson says the programme partners may organise an all-female project to ensure balance. “Its easier to recruit boys on to this kind of project,” she adds.

The young people are mentored and trained by local tradespeople. These 400 volunteers will also end the project with training and mentoring qualifications. One of the pilot mentors, painter and decorator Danny Thompson, has decided to continue working on the project as it expands. “Build-it is a really brilliant idea to put something back into the community and a great way to help young people – it’s well worth the effort,” he says.

One of his mentees, an 18-year-old, lived on the estate where the house he worked on during the pilot was situated. “I am enjoying working with Danny as he really knows his stuff and I am learning a lot,” says the young worker. “I like the different bits to the programme – some of it is in college, and some of it is here, doing up the houses. It’s good to get a mix of experience. I am taking it step by step, and hoping it will make a difference to me, and to the estate.”

As well as the local college, London Youth partnered with Lambeth-based Community Trust Housing and the charity Co-Sponsorship Agency. Ferguson says the support of Lambeth Council was also essential. “It is a real multi-outcome programme,” she says. “They’ve opened a lot of doors to make this possible.”

Ferguson believes the programme gives young people much more than just practical skills. “Their social skills improve through working with other people of different generations, and they develop a sense of pride in having achieved something,” she adds. “Some of the young people from the pilot have since progressed onto apprenticeships and other training or employment.”