Express & Star

Open days start at BCTG construction skills centre

BCTG Group, one of the top training specialists in the Midlands, has arranged a new series of “open afternoons” for potential trainees and employers.

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Bricklaying is one of the skills that will be featured

The new monthly events start from 1pm to 4pm on Friday, May 21 at the Construction Skills Centre at Kelvin Way Trading Estate in West Bromwich.

With the timing closely linked to the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, there will then be additional open afternoons on the last Friday of every month from June onwards.

The centre hosts the theory and practical elements of skilled jobs like bricklaying, painting and decorating, plastering, roofing and cladding, as well as other courses.

Lisa Kelly, the business development manager at BCTG, said: “Now that people can start visiting again, we thought an open afternoon would be a great way of showing potential trainees how they can join the world of work.

“We’re inviting people in for a look around, a taster session if they wish, and even to sign up for next courses on the day.

“We’re also hoping to attract employers to take a look at the centre if they are interested in recruiting trainees and apprenticeships for their business.”

Ms Kelly explained that the Construction Skills Centre was targeting the government-funded training spaces at three groups of students living in the Midlands: 16 to 18-year-olds taking basic, pre-apprenticeship training courses; post-18s taking Level 3 apprenticeship courses and adults wanting to reskill or upskill.

She added: “With HS2’s ongoing progress alone, the construction industry estimates it will need an extra 50,000 trained workers.

“Even without that, the growth in housebuilding in this region, let alone the constant construction work underway in Birmingham, has created an urgent need for young building workers.

“Our Construction Skills Centre in West Bromwich can cater for up to 80 people at a time on a range of roll-on, roll-off courses, and we hope to be training hundreds of new people in the next few months.”

The BCTG open days will be operating in a Covid-19 safe environment, with appropriate social distancing applied.

Anyone interested can find out more by calling 0121 544 6455 and selecting option 1, or there are more details on the BCTG website at www.bctg.org.uk

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