Brighter Futures

The new Manchester Enterprise Academy is still a few months from its initial opening, yet opportunities to boost local skills and potential employment in Wythenshawe are already emerging thanks to a new on-site Construction Skills Initiative run by Balfour Beatty Construction. 

The construction company has developed an on-site learning hub alongside the actual construction process to provide training for local people to learn vital new skills to become trades people and secure future employment – which is also of great benefit to the UK construction industry that is currently facing a severe skills shortage despite the economic downturn. 

Backed by lead-sponsor, Manchester Airport, the Manchester Enterprise Academy (MEA) is an exciting £19m project transforming Parklands High School in Woodhouse Park, Wythenshawe into a modern, specialist status education Academy.

 The MEA will open in September based in the existing Parklands High School buildings for its first year, before moving into brand new purpose built facilities - currently under construction - on the same site in September 2010.

 Andrew Cornish, Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, says: “As lead sponsor of the Manchester Enterprise Academy, Manchester Airport is a keen advocate of all of the innovate ways in which in project seeks to educate local people to meet the needs of the region’s businesses and help them in securing employment.”

 It is anticipated that over the 10-year life span of the on-site Balfour Beatty Construction hub, 600 construction workers will receive skill training. So far this hub has enabled bricklaying apprentices from the partner college, The Manchester College, to be interviewed by the appropriate sub-contractor as they finish their full-time course and are available for work when the sub-contractor is starting on site.

 Tony Ellender, Training Manager for Balfour Beatty Construction at the site, said: “Despite the current state of the economy, there are still several high profile construction sites in the North West that will require skilled workers in the future. Skills will be of essential importance to ensuring that the UK remains competitive in the global marketplace and we can ensure that local people are able to take the skills they learn here in Wythenshawe and use them in their future career.”

 One of those to benefit from the scheme has been Shaun Day, who having come to the hub to learn about brickwork was then able to secure a work experience assignment on the St Paul’s project. His work there ensured he secured an apprenticeship with the construction firm, Marlborough. Shaun is also continuing to study for an NVQ at The Manchester College. Several other users of the hub are beginning to secure employment as a direct result of the skills they have learnt on site.

 Councillor Sue Murphy, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Employment and Skills says: “This is a wonderful initiative and will provide a supply of local skilled trades people for building projects not just in Wythenshawe, but across Manchester as a whole. As a City Council, we are doing everything we can to create new jobs and support our residents during a period of recession with our Helping Hands initiative and so we are always delighted to support any programmes that promote skills and training.”