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This entry is a Finalist in the “Corporate Responsibility” category on Thursday 23 June 2011
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Jonathan Brookes
CSR Manager
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| Lakehouse Legacy and Building Lives |
| A successful construction demonstration project to expand the number of apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds captured the attention of our CEO. He is now working with partners to support the most disadvantaged people into sustainable work. Building Lives Training Academy is a registered social enterprise that helps deliver corporate targets around the employment and training of disadvantaged individuals. We believe that we can make a big impact on the worklessness issue with a unique approach where private, public and third sector partners help develop a social enterprise, which now provides local authorities, housing associations and developers with a Big Society solution. |
| Impact | Innovation | |
| Building Lives engages 100 people a year on a 5 day taster course in construction, of which 40 move on to a level 1 course in maintenance operations and green building skills. Successful graduates are guaranteed an apprenticeship with Lakehouse or one of our partner organisations. At least 30% of the intake at Building Lives is from homeless partners with many of the other trainees coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. By 2012, Building Lives will generate 200 apprenticeships a year for people of all ages and backgrounds. | Lakehouse Legacy has helped to change the culture of training, apprenticeships and local employment in the construction industry. Building Lives is a unique employer-led training provider, which aims to close the gap between training and employment. At present only 3 out of 10 students that undertake a construction course find employment and the average number of apprentices on London sites is just 1% of the workforce. Building Lives aims to change this and go further by helping the most excluded people in society into work. |
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| Insight | Inspiration | |
| The project has faced many barriers. Firstly, one of our funding partners withdrew funds due to a change in government. We overcame this by working with an alternative training provider, who found additional funding. Our initial training provider partner was unable to reduce costs or add value with additional funding, creating a late change in college partners. Thirdly, finding placements has for some of our apprentices been difficult. Our CEO has personally met staff and supply chain partners to overcome this. | By using a social enterprise governance structure, it can be easily replicated and used by other developers and contractors. The success of the model means that other Building Lives centres are due to open over the next 12 months. Funding the project was an initial challenge, particularly with the fact that many of our trainees are adults, which does not attract the same level of grant from the Skills Funding Agency. This has been overcome by working with our college partner to cross fund some of the training we deliver. |
