Over the Summer holidays, Preston Vocational Centre (PVC) partnered with Keepmoat Homes to deliver a four-week programme, Pathway to Progress - an initiative that gave young people the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the construction industry.
Designed to broaden participants’ understanding of the opportunities available in the construction industry, the initiative offered a structured and supportive environment for young people who were at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
At Preston Vocational Centre, the team are committed to supporting learners to reach their full potential. During the programme, the group engaged in practical workshops, site visits and mentoring sessions, developing essential trade skills, building confidence and gaining an insight into the real-world work environment.
Looking to the future, the programme supported the young people to make informed decisions about their next steps. This involved discussing further education, apprenticeships and employment opportunities, ensuring the programme not only had a lasting benefit on skillsets but also gave a sense of direction.
Keepmoat’s relationship with PVC is well-established, with a history of apprenticeships and employability sessions available for learners at PVC. The participants had the opportunity to meet James, the winner of the Student of the Year award at PVC in 2022 (image below). Since then, James has gone on to pass his Bricklaying apprenticeship and has been taken on permanently at Keepmoat.
The opportunity to meet James, who has continued to succeed since his time at PVC, allowed the participants to develop a better understanding of future prospects.
Our purpose is to equip young people for the future by supporting personal development. Alongside building confidence in practical skills across plumbing, plastering, bricklaying and joinery, the programme also deepened the group’s understanding of teamwork and problem-solving through a creative team-building challenge.
Opportunities such as this not only reduce the number of young people at risk of becoming NEET but also contribute to improved college retention rates by ensuring students have a greater sense of clarity and purpose.
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