We have recently welcomed eight students from Kirkby High School for a week’s work experience. The students expressed an interest in construction skills, following our recent visit to their school. During their work experience they spent time with and learnt from various trades, including decorating, joining, plastering and plumbing.
Attract:Train:Retain
It is hoped that these youngsters will form part of our Attract:Train:Retain initiative, to address and bridge the growing skills shortage within the construction industry and ensure industry talent for the future.Kirkby High School is the second school to partner with us for work experience and apprenticeship opportunities, alongside All Saints Catholic High School, also based in Kirkby. This collaboration is part of our commitment to the Knowsley Schools Apprenticeship Partnership, which sees The Forshaw Group investing a lot of time in supporting and encouraging apprentices.
Supporting young people
We also partner with the recently relaunched INS-PIRE Academy, which is dedicated to supporting young people entering the industry, providing structured learning, training, and real-world experience tailored to insurance-related building and repair needs.
The Forshaw Group has already helped attract over 100 students into apprenticeships in skilled trades, including building, restoration and renovation, engineering, decorating and loss adjusting across the region, and also into roles at our company.
Attracting future talent
John-Joseph Calvert, our Operations Manager and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Training and Development Champion, said: “It is great to see the impact we are now having in attracting the future talent to our sector. We wish all the students well for a steady start to their future careers.”
Liam Hanlon, our managing director, joined the construction industry in 1984 on a Youth Training Scheme Apprenticeship with the Construction Industry Training Board. He remains passionate about supporting young people into skills training and apprenticeships.
He said: “We were very pleased to welcome more students from Kirkby High School for work experience again this year. We hope the eight students enjoyed their time with us and will continue to move forward onto our apprenticeship scheme and become part of our industry.”
