Department for Work and Pensions Site Talk

Westleigh’s newly CCS registered site at St Mary’s in the heart of Leicester has decided to tackle the issue of filling the skills shortage with what will be a series of site visits and talks by the staff on site to a number of invitees in a bid to attract new operatives into the industry.

Our first talk has been to staff from the local authority, the Department for Work and Pensions who are always looking to place men and women into construction in all areas and from many different backgrounds and ages. The site talk to ten of them was designed to give them an insight into the industry to assist them in placing people onto site. This is a great way to ensure those looking to place people understand how a development is constructed, then they can put the right candidates forward.

These visits are conducted in partnership with the CITB in a bid to address the skills shortage. Westleigh have an apprentice intake every year and now aim to take work placement and work experience candidates as well. At the very least, these placements should give an insight into the industry to help them decide the best route to suit them into construction. Westleigh have already agreed to have an engineering work placement from this visit.