Affordable housing developer AJC Group has hosted its first ‘Tricks of the Trade’ event, bringing together trusted subcontractors and industry partners from the Wessex region to explore ways to support the next generation of construction talent.
A key focus was how AJC and its supply chain can work together to encourage more young people and individuals from target groups into the construction industry through apprenticeships, work placements and training opportunities.
Guest speakers from Coastland College, CITB, Bournemouth & Poole College and Konnect Recruit joined AJC to explain the support, opportunities and funding available to businesses looking to recruit, train and develop new talent.
The construction skills gap has been the subject of much industry debate and scrutiny, as less of the younger generations see the industry as a viable career path. The dwindling influx of new talent in the industry has come at a pivotal moment for the housebuilding sector, as the UK attempts to salvage as much success as possible from the Labour government’s 1.5m new homes target, a goal that seems to be drawing increasingly out of reach.
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The event was organised by Hannah Bentley, Employee and Client Relations Manager at AJC Group, who said: “Our subcontractors are a vital part of what we do at AJC, and Tricks of the Trade was an opportunity to bring everyone together to share what’s ahead, while looking at how we can collectively tackle one of construction’s biggest challenges – attracting and developing the next generation of talent.
“The response was really positive, and we’re motivated to build on that momentum to create more opportunities for people to start and develop careers in construction.”
Karl Townsend, Director of KV Plumbing & Heating, said: “The event showed us there’s far more help available for taking on apprentices than we realised. We came away with a much better understanding of the support and opportunities out there.”
The event also gave subcontractors an update on AJC’s development pipeline, with practical advice on the company’s tender process and how businesses can stand out during tender reviews.
