Sponsorship to help young people progress in construction careers

Croydon College secure sponsorship to help young people progress in construction careers

Croydon College is pleased to announce that Clarion Housing Group’s charitable foundation, Clarion Futures, and construction company JJ Rhatigan have agreed to sponsor a number of students with their CSCS card applications, enabling them to gain valuable on-site experience in the construction industry.

CSCS is the leading skills certification scheme within the UK construction industry, providing proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training and qualifications for the job they do. By having a valid CSCS card, the college can source work placements for the students on construction sites as well as opening up more employment opportunities for them.

Stuart Singleton, Construction Curriculum Manager at Croydon College commented: “The generous donations from Clarion Futures and JJ Rhatigan have funded 24 learners who are about to complete the training and get their CSCS cards. The cards are vital for getting leaners onto building sites, but the cost is a setback for our learners as they have to try and fund this themselves. It opens up so many more opportunities for them both with work experience placements and employment. We are incredibly grateful to both for their donations and for helping our learners get the hands on experience they need for a career in the construction industry.”

Victoria Whittle, Head of Jobs and Training at Clarion Futures, said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting young people at Croydon College as they kickstart their careers. Access to the necessary qualifications and work placements can act as a real barrier for those wanting to get into the construction industry, and thanks to this partnership we’ll be laying the groundwork for brighter futures.”

As well as helping students get the CSCS cards, JJ Rhatigan have facilitated a number of work experience placements for students at the college from carpentry to quantity surveying, providing students with real life experience of what they are studying and to give a good insight into working life in construction. They will also be running site tours for students over the coming weeks for them to see a live construction site and to interact with the trades.

Hamish Hunter, Project Director, JJ Rhatigan said:

“We donated to Croydon College as part of our social value contributions which form part of our work with Clarion on the Eastfields Phase 1 project. We established a relationship with the college in conjunction with Clarion and a need was identified to sponsor students with their CSCS card applications. We thought this was a very worthwhile opportunity to support young people with their first steps into the industry and to break down any financial barriers to entry. With a widening skills gap, it’s great that Croydon College are training apprentices to enter into the industry and we are pleased to support them with this.”

To find out more about courses at Croydon College visit: https://croydon.ac.uk/