Islanders get on site for a new career in construction

Sunday 06 July 2014

More local people who have been out of work are being trained up for jobs in the construction industry who’ll be qualified to help build some of the major projects planned to start in the Island in the next 18 months.

Local building firm Camerons and other industry trainers have been on site with the first recruits at a specially constructed training site set up to give them an introduction to health and safety and hands on experience in carpentry, groundwork, concrete mixing and blocklaying.

Chairman of the JeCC’s Education and Training Sub-Committee Marc Burton said: “The training building site operates exactly like ‘real’ sites, and the recruits will be expected to follow industry standards for safety and operation procedures. By the time the recruits get into work they will be used to the essential skills needed for health and safety on site.

“Several major construction projects will start in the next 18 months, and we are working closely with Back to Work to ensure that we seize every possible opportunity to recruit locally-qualified jobseekers. We are ensuring that Under Construction results in a meaningful accreditation, which will ensure that our members have the confidence that the jobseekers are properly prepared for work in our industry.”

The Under Construction Training Programme is run by the Jersey Construction Council and Back to Work who plan to train up more than 200 jobseekers with a qualification and ready to start work in the industry.

Social Security Minister Senator Francis Le Gresley said: “These cohorts are the first of many for whom training will mean a positive new direction and route back into employment. We know that over the next 18 months the demand will increase for staff with construction skills, and the Under Construction Training Programme will help locally-qualified people to meet that demand.”