Seddon unveils three-year training programme

Seddon said it will use new backing from the National Skills Academy for Construction to train 50 apprentices, create 90 jobs locally and organise 134 work placements in the North West and the Midlands.

The programme will be implemented on housing sites and includes plans to provide training for subcontractors, careers events in schools and support for schools delivering construction-related courses.

Seddon will receive £40,000 a year from the Construction Industry Training Board, which runs the National Skills Academy for Construction, over the next three years.

Jonathan Seddon, managing director, said: "This leading industry accreditation is a significant seal of approval for our training approach, recognising our dedication to developing our own workforce, and that of our supply chain, as well as creating employment and job opportunities for local residents as we build new affordable homes across the North West and the Midlands.

"This is recognition from the National Skills Academy for Construction of our commitment to making a difference for local neighbourhoods and the industry as a whole through high-quality training programmes and by providing jobs and training in the communities wherever we work."

The National Skills Academy for Construction is delivered by CITB, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for Construction, and aims to deliver high-quality, tailored construction training to prepare people for jobs, up-skill the existing workforce and attract new talent to the industry.

Marie Neen, National Skills Academy for Construction performance co-ordinator North, said: "It's great to see another employer being awarded National Skills Academy for Construction status in the North West and the Midlands. The National Skills Academy for Construction promotes exemplary infrastructure projects which deliver skills and training, and helps to establish procurement best practice through a client-based model to grow employment in local communities."

The training programme will be delivered through new-build housing and regeneration projects worth around £157m set to be undertaken by Seddon over the next three years. In the North West, these include schemes to deliver new housing worth £10.6m in Bolton for Great Places Housing Group; a £2.1m new-build housing project in Bolton for Bolton at Home; £6.4m of housing refurbishment work for Salix Homes in Manchester; a £2.4m new-build housing scheme for Plus Dane Group in Liverpool and a £2.1m scheme in Runcorn for Halton Housing Trust.