Hammering Skills & Building Dreams

Today is World Youth Skills day – a perfect opportunity to champion young people who are (quite literally) responsible for building the future.

In the construction industry there is a gaping hole when it comes to skills training, but Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland is bridging the gap and preparing young people for the workforce.

“It’s been a long-standing commitment of Saint-Gobain to provide high quality construction training,” explains Mike Chaldecott, Chief Executive, Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland.

“Whether through our network of seven training academies, our partnerships with more than 50 colleges and schools, or our long-standing work with Barnardo’s and Youthbuild; providing skills and qualifications so people can deliver construction solutions to buildings delivers huge benefit to people, businesses, and society at large.”

Sustainable future
A new training facility in north Wales will address the deficit in training and job opportunities for young people in the fields of construction and energy efficiency.

It’s all part of a collaboration between Saint-Gobain, Tŷ Gwyrddfai, Adra, north Wales’ largest housing association, Bangor University, The Centre for Infrastructure Skills and Technology (CIST), and Busnes@LlandrilloMenai. Together they will provide recognised training and qualifications in construction and housing retrofit skills.

Students will learn to install products, such as external and internal wall insulation, that form part of the process of decarbonising and retrofitting homes.

Saint-Gobain and Tŷ Gwyrddfai share the same goals: to make homes warmer, cheaper to heat, and more comfortable. Adra, which manages over 7,000 homes in north Wales, needs skilled workers for this task. With training from CIST and expertise from Saint-Gobain, this challenge will be met. Bangor University will test new decarbonisation products at the hub.

Mike ended: “We’re very proud of this collaboration which is pivotal in addressing the urgent need for sustainable housing solutions while equipping the local workforce with essential skills for energy efficient homes. It’s our part in Making the World a Better Home.”

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