A diverse range of speakers took to the stage at an event seeking to combat the growing construction skills gap through education and training – including former prisoners whose lives it has changed.
Building Better Futures, held at King’s College College in Cambridge and organised by Constructed Pathways and Women in Construction Anglia, looked to shine a light on the opportunities for people to train and join the industry.
Latest figures reveal more than 225,000 additional workers are needed across the UK to fuel the government’s plans to build 1.5 million new homes by 2030.
Among the speakers and attendees were former prisoners who spoke of how innovative training in construction, coordinated by Constructed Pathways, had transformed their lives.
Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore, also spoke at the event.
“I thought it was a brilliant event and just shows the potential and power for collaboration,” he said.
“From my point of view as a Police and Crime Commissioner, getting ex-offenders into work is really important, so I’ll do anything I can to promote that.
“We need more houses built and there’s lots of big civil engineering projects happening in the region, so anything I can do to help that cause, I will.
“This event has been a great place for networking and showing what we can do – the power of collaboration has been here in bucket loads.”
Alongside the various construction training programmes it runs, Cambridgeshire-based Constructed Pathways has supported prisoners at HMP Peterborough, giving them hands-on training and experience, helping them to find work in the sector on release.
Steve Coleby, Director of Constructed Pathways, said: “This event has been a huge success, with some truly inspiring speakers taking to the stage.
“The construction sector has a looming crisis ahead which it is well aware of, and needs innovative, short and long-term plans to find the workers to meet the government’s ambitious homes plans.
“This event brought together industry and education leaders to address the growing skills gap issue, and it has been great to see people eager to work together to find solutions.”
Clare Friel, founder of Women in Construction Anglia, added: “It has been an amazing day, seeing so many people coming together to tackle this important issue.
“The construction industry is an incredible sector to be part of and it’s so important we showcase the opportunities to people so we can meet the challenges ahead.”
For more information on Constructed Pathways and its training programmes, see here.
For more on Women in Construction Anglia, see here.
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