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Build Salford

Build Salford logo

Build Salford is a consortium of construction employers, social housing providers and key support agencies which offers a unique traineeship programme for Salford young people.

Build Salford enables access to apprenticeships and jobs with some of the best local construction companies. The programme has over 20 dedicated industry partners who all have one thing in mind, to create as many opportunities as possible for young people looking to kick start their career in the construction sector.

Information for young people interested in construction

Many Salford businesses already offer career talks, shadowing, mentoring and work experience and we’d like them to continue doing that online. That way they can stay in touch, inspire and encourage young people for when the upturn comes, and they need to recruit. If they can also offer apprenticeships and jobs now or in the future so much the better and we will support that as much as possible. Young people have a wealth of skills, talent and potential but this is at risk of being lost, so there has never been a more important time to provide them with opportunities.

Find out more about Build Salford

Construction videos are available to watch on our industries page.

Information for employers

Salford is calling on all businesses in construction small or large to support Salford residents so that we can ‘build back a better Salford’ to grow, work and live. We are committed to helping young people find good work and training opportunities. We are working with Salford City College to develop work placements for their college students and are developing new programmes to help adult local residents enter and move forward in the booming local construction industry.

To find out more about how you can get involved with Build Salford and how it can help you engage with local talent, visit the Build Salford page.

What’s in it for you as an employer?

Some of the things you would benefit from as an employer by becoming a partner:

  • Assistance with achieving CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) targets
  • Access to local talent/labour
  • Networking with our other partners
  • Recruitment support for office and support functions (eg Administrators and cleaners) via Salford Employment Hub
  • Supporting the development of your business including business advice and quality standards
  • Promoting your business over multiple networks
  • Apprenticeship and training knowledge specific to the industry
  • Give back to the local area that supports your business

Work shadowing, placements and apprentices

  • Providing opportunities to come into your business (once guidelines allow) is crucial. Some residents have never stepped into a construction environment before and do not always know the expected behaviours of this setting.
  • A placement or shadowing opportunity could be individual or for a small group.
  • This could last a few hours, up to a full week, or one day per week for a longer period.

Meet the sector/question and answer

  • Many people have a limited view of what is available in the construction industry due to their lack of experience so providing them with a broader view is important.
  • This is an opportunity to provide key information about your sector, how it’s developing and what skills, attitudes and behaviours you look for in new employees/apprentices.
  • If it’s a live session give young people the opportunity to ask questions
  • If it’s recorded you could offer to take questions after the session by email.

Mock interviews

  • Provide a ten to 20 minute interview with a young person so they can showcase their skills. Young people have often never had this type of experience so will be daunted by it, so providing a supportive session so they do not feel embarrassed but are supported to consider what type of answers they may give.

Site visit

Provide a tour around your organisation, showing the apprentices:

  • the key areas of the business so they can see the breadth of departments involved in its running.
  • Try to pay specific attention to any of the more ‘exciting’ areas, especially where they may be practical.
  • Allow them to ‘meet’ your colleagues whilst they work
  • Show them the canteen and break areas

One to one mentoring

  • Some people who have specific career ideas/job roles in mind or those who are very unsure, would equally benefit from having one to one discussions with people from the world of work. Teachers/careers advisers would identify specific people and would provide an overview of them with any specific conversations they think would be useful to have. These could vary in frequency and length depending on your capacity and could be done through various digital platforms.

Can you offer financial support?

Examples of financial support that other employers have provided:

  • Funding for industry-specific tickets such as:
    • Asbestos Awareness
    • Working from heights
    • CSSC (Construction Skills Certification Scheme)
    • Sector Specific tool bag for when you go into work
  • Funding for basic work equipment
  • Funding or providing training space locations
  • Funding for events or industry-specific job fairs

For more information on how we can support you financially, please email sarah.scanlan@salford.gov.uk

Downloadable documents

If you are unable to view documents of these types, our downloads page provides links to viewing software.

This page was last updated on 16 April 2024

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