Young women in Peterborough have begun construction work placements through a programme led by Morgan Sindall and local education providers.
The Just Transition initiative brought together a group of women from different backgrounds for a two-week programme aimed at introducing them to careers in construction.
Delivered in partnership with Peterborough College, Inspire Education Group and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, the programme took more than a year to develop.
Participants completed practical sessions in plumbing, bricklaying and carpentry, alongside workshops on sustainability, social value, CV writing and interview skills. They also visited Morgan Sindall’s £14m Great Haddon Primary School project in Peterborough.
The college-based training was followed by interviews with Morgan Sindall and members of its supply chain for 12-week work placements. Two participants have already started placements.
Jamie Shearman, area director for Cambridgeshire at Morgan Sindall Construction, said discussions with the women highlighted both the barriers they had faced in finding work and their determination to build careers in the sector.
He said: “Without providing opportunities for people who may never have considered construction as a viable career, the sector cannot evolve and properly meet our communities’ current and future needs.
“Seeing the enthusiasm and progress of the group in Peterborough has underlined what can be achieved. Talking with these women about the challenges they’ve faced securing work reinforces why it’s important to ensure access to training, support and skills.”
Morgan Sindall said it hopes the initiative could become a model for similar programmes elsewhere.
