The West Midlands is leading the way in the development of construction skills thanks to the efforts of one contractor who is pioneering a unique approach to the establishment of Local Skills Academies.

With the support of WMCCE, Stepnell has worked with the Learning and Skills Council to set up the project at Minster College in Leominster, the largest secondary school in Leominster.  The project has involved a complex, phased new build on the existing site to completely update the facilities at the specialist sports college.

Stepnell’s approach to Skills Academies focuses on supporting those already working in the sector to ‘up-skill’ as well as those exploring a career in the sector.

The project in Leominster has provided a gateway to training for all of Stepnell’s supply chain companies, resulting in enhanced skills, increased efficiencies and build quality across a wide range of developments.

With a recent survey from the Chartered Institute of Building showing that 72% of respondents believe there is currently a skills shortage in the construction sector and 67% sighting the lack of apprentice recruitment as the biggest threat to the future skills agenda, such schemes are vital to addressing these issues and maintaining the pipeline of fresh talent coming into the sector.

With the future of the industry in mind, the second aim of the Local Skills Academies is to provide pupils studying key stage 4 construction courses with the opportunity to visit live construction sites.

The scheme, which is unique to the West Midlands, provides students with an invaluable insight into the way a construction project is managed and the wide variety of skills needed in the construction sector. This not only helps develop interest, with hands on experience, but also links into the school’s curricula activity at Key Stage 4.

Approximately 1300 work experience days have been provided to date and 80 pupils have participated in the scheme.

Building on the Local Skills Academy established by Stepnell at Minster College in Leominster, WMCCE is now working closely with Stepnell to apply this unique approach in Staffordshire. The project will focus on the construction of a number of new fire stations around the county.  

Phil Wilson, Executive Director, WMCCE says,

“Stepnell has shown real forward thinking through its pioneering work to develop the skills academies concept and has demonstrated genuine commitment to the future of the industry in the region. The skills academy developed originally at Minster College was an excellent opportunity for young people to gain first-hand experience of a construction site; furthermore it provided an effective mechanism for engaging the supply chain in training and business improvement initiatives. We look forward to working closely again with Stepnell and their supply chain in Staffordshire”

Following its success with the Skills Academy at Minster College, Stepnell was honoured in the 2010 regional Constructing Excellence Awards for its dedication to training and development.

Stepnell Ltd was the winner in the Integration and Collaborative Working category of the awards, which were part of the Celebrating Construction event organised by WMCCE in conjunction with Birmingham City Council, and the Chartered Institute of Building.

Mark Wakeford, Stepnell Managing Director says,

“We were delighted to hear that we had won the award for Integration and Collaborative Working. It is great to know that the time and effort put into the organisation of the academies is appreciated and that it is considered a success by those in the wider industry, as well as a contribution to the development of a national model for Skills Academies.

“We are very pleased to be involved in this initiative and are glad that it has been such a success. Pupils really seem to appreciate their time out of the classroom and we hope that it a useful experience, allowing them to put the theory into practice.  We hope that the academies continue to prove valuable for pupils and grow further in the future.”