In December 2016 the Council was approached by the Chair of C2K Community and Youth Centre in Thamesmead to ask whether it could provide funding to repair the outside of the building which was in need of decoration.

Work experience offered to 13 young people

The Council's Greenwich Local Labour and Business team (GLLaB) used the request as an opportunity to work in partnership with Knight Dragon and London South East Colleges (LSEC) to offer work experience to 13 young people (eight men and five women) interested in building a career in construction.

Knight Dragon agreed to fund all the materials for the project and a tutor from LSEC provided on-site support and mentoring. In addition, experienced volunteers and senior students were also on hand to support the group and to ensure work was completed to a high standard.

The group guaranteed interviews with developers

The group will now progress onto the Greenwich Local Labour into Construction (GLLiC) pre-apprenticeship scheme. GLLiC is a seven week programme providing on-site work experience, a CSCS card (essential to work on a construction site), project experience and employability support. In addition, the young people who complete the course will be offered a guaranteed interview with three key developers in the borough (Morris Roe, MACE and BAM, all part of the Knight Dragon supply chain) for apprenticeship opportunities in a variety of trades.

Appreciate all the support offered to the candidates

Councillor Denise Hyland, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: "It was great to meet a group of ambitious and aspiring young people keen to seize an opportunity to develop their skills so that they can foster their construction careers. I am very proud of each and every one of them and wish them every success for their futures."

Councillor Sizwe James, Cabinet Member for Transport, Economy and Smart Cities, said: "It's gratifying to see such a high proportion of young women interested in building a career in construction - something that is particularly pleasing given the gender imbalance within the industry.

"We are deeply appreciative of the support and mentoring offered by everyone involved in supporting all our apprentice hopefuls, who have been invaluable to the process."

Young people showed impressive commitment

All the candidates from the project will be introduced to the developers involved and GLLaB will highlight the commitment that these young people have shown to complete the project.

So far, there has been a positive response from residents living nearby. In addition, GLLaB has also received a number of compliments from residents impressed with the commitment the young people showed when working on the project.