Willmott Dixon is equipping people with skills to find work in the construction industry through hands-on training at its Stockport Interchange development.

The company has created a Building Lives Academy on-site that is providing qualifications including Health & Safety in Construction Level 1 certification and a CSCS card following an intensive four-week course.

The first to benefit are ten people from Stockport aged between 18-25 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Some recently left the care home system and are looking for a pathway to a long-term career, so the training gave them valuable on-site experience as well as employability skills they can build on to find construction sector jobs.

One Building Lives Academy student, Cain Powers-Evans from Stockport, said the course has made a real difference: "It's transformed my confidence. I wanted to go into landscaping or bricklaying and I didn’t know much about construction, but it’s been a really good experience. I enjoyed the course. I learned lots about the health and safety aspects and I really enjoyed the on-site work experience placement."


In addition to work experience, site visits, health and safety training and achieving their CSCS cards, Building Lives Academy students get advice on managing personal finances and budgeting skills as well as CV writing support and interview practice.

The training is being run alongside Groundwork Greater Manchester's Stockport sustainable futures construction programme, funded by the Prince’s Trust. Willmott Dixon will run more employment and training programmes, with future ones aimed at local military veterans as well as people with disabilities, so they can gain construction skills, experience and support into employment.

The Building Lives Academy initiative is a key element of Willmott Dixon's commitment to ensuring the interchange development delivers lasting benefits for people in Stockport and Greater Manchester. This includes working alongside supply chain partners in Stockport to create 40 local jobs and upskilling a new generation of construction professionals through apprenticeship and trainee programmes.

Anthony Dillon, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the North West, said: "The interchange will be a transformational gateway and biodiverse space for the people of Stockport. Yet it’s impact will be even more far reaching; it will leave a legacy of investment, skills and opportunities through our Building Lives Academy programme.

"So many of our senior team in Greater Manchester have enjoyed a long and rewarding career in construction because they were given an opportunity, like these students. Whether our Building Lives Academy students go on to pursue full-time careers in construction or are inspired to go on to further education, we’re delighted to offer them a positive experience and a place to develop valuable employability skills."