Suffolk New College enters agreement to offer pathway to employment for young people in the construction sector
Young people in Suffolk eager to break into the construction sector may be in luck thanks to a new agreement.
Suffolk New College signed a memorandum of understanding with the Suffolk Joint Construction Committee (SJCC) this week.
The deal will allow the committee to work closely with the college for the training of new workers leading.
This includes offering students work experience, site visits, industry talks, mentoring sessions and apprenticeships.
Alan Burgess, director of construction and engineering at Suffolk New College, welcomed the collaboration.
He said: “Our numbers total around 1,200 young people at the moment in terms of construction and engineering pathways and we are determined that these numbers continue to grow.
“Working with partners is crucial to our future plans so that we can find skills solutions to their working needs whilst also giving our learners real life experiences.
“We are incredibly grateful to the SJCC for agreeing to join us on our journey in helping to build a better future for the UK construction and engineering industries both locally and nationally.”
The deal was signed at the Chefs’ White restaurant.
During the event, college bosses announced plans to launch two new level four higher technical qualifications (HTQ) in quantity surveying and construction management for the 2025/26 academic year.
It also has ambitions of offering a construction degree by 2028.
Alan Pease, principal and chief executive of Suffolk New College, was excited at the new opportunities the agreement would bring.
It currently had 136 companies signed up, he said.
Mr Pease added: “Businesses are now ringing us to get involved and they are helping us create a line of sight from education into industry by bringing our curriculum to life via the experiences they offer.”
The SJCC was founded in 1954 and brings together volunteers from construction bodies.
It brings together volunteers from the professional construction bodies in the county as well as representatives from law and quantity surveying.
Bryan Wybrow, chairman of the SJCC, who also represents Ipswich-based KLH Architects, was delighted to sign the deal.
He said: “We are all about promoting the industry across a broad range of subjects with the aim of encouraging more people into the professions we represent.
“I think today is important because getting engaged and invested in education is something we have wanted to do for a long time and that is why we are delighted to have created this formal ongoing partnership.”
