Practical Skills in Construction

“We understand that it is difficult for young people to get onto the career ladder. We wish to offer young people the right tools and knowledge to gain full time work. We believe that such initiatives are needed to help tackle the current skills shortage and safeguard the future of our industry, helping others at the same time.”
Adam Humphrey, Director of HOP Consulting.

What is Practical Skills in Construction?

This is a short training programme for young adults who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and live in Brighton and Hove. Through our partnership with the Brighton & Hove Youth Employability Service, we want to give them the opportunity to forge a career in construction.

What the programme includes

Hands-on experience

The trainees receive practical experience from a variety of Sussex-based businesses. This covers a range of skills such as groundworks, working at height, bricklaying, carpentry and finishing.

They also have the opportunity to work on a local project, applying their skills in the real world.

Learning from the experts

As well as sharing their skills, the local businesses who support this initiative also help the trainees understand the realities of working in the construction industry. As a result, they leave with a better understanding of the career path they would like to take.

Helping trainees obtain their CSCS Card

“A lot of people can’t even get their foot in the door to construction as they aren’t able to apply for a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card…”Jon Orrell, Director of HOP Consulting

Having a CSCS Card is a prerequisite for working on many construction sites. The knowledge required to obtain one and the process of sitting the test, can become a barrier for new entrants into our industry.

We provide health and safety training to prepare the trainees to sit their CITB HSE Operatives test, which is required before applying for a CSCS Card. We also guide them through the application process.

The benefits of Practical Skills in Construction

The programme has already helped many trainees to find paid work in construction.

It is also a fantastic opportunity for the team at HOP Consulting to get directly involved with community projects. Volunteers come from across the organisation – providing IT support, promoting the programme on social media and helping to run each of the training sessions.

Read about our 2016 and 2019 programmes.

Get involved

If you would like to find out more about the Practical Skills in Construction programme then please contact us.

If you are a young person who would like to take part in the next programme, please contact the Brighton & Hove Youth Employability Service.

Practical Skills in Construction is just one of the ways in which HOP support our local community. Find out more about our community and work experience initiatives.