The CPA (Construction Pant-hire Association) annual conference is taking place on 4th<\/sup> November at Wyboston Lakes, St Neots Cambridgeshire. Amongst the many subjects on the conference agenda is the \u2018rehabilitation of young offenders through training\u2019 and how the scheme is assisting the participants to secure employment within the construction sector by forging partnerships with blue chip contractors, including Amey plc and Bam Construction.<\/p>\n PC Sonya Hill MBE, a full-time Prince\u2019s Trust coordinator for the West Midlands Police champions this initiative, known as the \u2018Prince\u2019s Trust Team Programme<\/strong><\/span>\u2019<\/a> PC Hill\u2019s sterling efforts in facilitating this programme were recognised last year in the Queen\u2019s Birthday Honours list and she was honoured with an MBE. PC Hill, a police officer with 30-years of service under her belt explains the importance of this scheme and forging business partnerships.<\/p>\n PC Hill knew nothing about the construction industry until the recent media attention drew her to the skills shortage crisis within the sector. Construction accounts for 2.6 million jobs in the UK and in the next five-years it is predicted, by the CITB, that 224,000 new construction jobs will be created. It was these figures that prompted PC Hill to meet with the CITB to discuss ways of incorporating the young offenders training programme into construction companies and address the skills deficit.<\/p>\n The West Midlands Police have worked in partnership with the Prince\u2019s Trust since 2006. The Trust is a youth charity that helps young people progress to positive outcomes. The Prince\u2019s Trust Team Programme (Team) is a 12-week youth engagement programme aimed at getting 16-25 year olds back into employment or education through personal development and mentoring. Team also offers work experience and the opportunity to gain qualifications and practical skills.<\/p>\n The young people also engage in community projects such as fund-raising activities and working alongside community groups such as helping the elderly and assisting the homeless \u2013 this gives the participants a sense of worth by putting something back into their local communities. They also embark on a residential week which encourages team work.<\/p>\n All of this is supported by helping them with CV writing, mock interviews and job applications. More than 70% of unemployed participants go on to jobs, training or education within three months of completing the programme.<\/p>\n PC Hill said:<\/p>\n \u201cThe Trust work in partnership with four colleges within the West Midlands Police (WMP) geographical area. The WMP is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the Team programme and we refer to the colleges we work with as Delivery Partners. We run the programme from within police stations across 10 local Policing Units (LPUs). Working with the youths are PC\u2019s and PCSO\u2019s (Police Community Police Officers), who are WMP employees. We (WMP) are completely unique in that the West Midlands Police is the only police service in the country to open up the doors of their police stations to this engagement force wide in its 10 areas.\u201d<\/p>\n PC Hill continued: \u201cAlthough we (WMP) work in partnership with the Prince\u2019s Trust \u2013 the extended partnership we have with businesses for work placement is between WMP and businesses. The Trust Team is just the vehicle facilitating that engagement as ultimately when we have worked with an individual for 12-weeks eight hours a day, we as staff are in a better position to identify their readiness for work and progression.\u201d<\/p>\n The WMP utilise the Team programme as an offender management\/youth engagement vehicle and focuses on offenders and ex-offenders in addition to those considered on the cusp of offending. We also engage with vulnerable young people \u2013 but we do have to be careful when we mix a team. Other target key groups for recruitment are those in or leaving care, education underachievers and the long term unemployed. PC Hill said:<\/p>\n \u201cTo maximise the greatest chance of success with the programme it\u2019s essential that an appropriate mix of young people are recruited to attend these 12-week programmes. As such, a team made up entirely of offenders would not be appropriate.<\/p>\n \u201cOur successes help reduce demand for services that is essential with the budget cuts we are currently experiencing \u2013 with a further \u00a3130m of cuts expected over the next four-years.<\/p>\n \u201cTeam members take part in work placements with a view to preparing them for work. At present there is a huge drive for staff to create business partnerships to help facilitate employment\/apprenticeship opportunities. This drive has enjoyed many a success with opportunities opening up in many areas of work, and most recently within the construction sector.<\/p>\n These partnerships have a huge impact on the success of Team with many positive progression routes being secured via the employment diversion pathway. These successes also help to increase the number of referrals which enables Team leaders to be more selective, and therefore improves retention of the young people to the end of the 12-week programme.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to helping Team and those taking part, business partnerships allow many different organisations to work together \u2018for the good of the country\u2019, which as we know is suffering a huge skills shortage. The Team programme is going some way to fill this gap by supporting young people who may have slipped through the net and getting them into work. There\u2019s a big difference between education and intelligence.<\/p>\n PC Hill continued:<\/p>\n \u201cBy developing partnerships and identifying potential opportunities our aim is to maximise success by making the most disaffected young people become positive role models for other young people and in becoming positive contributing members of local communities. Where we have business partnership engaged with specific team areas, we have a participant retention rate between 80 \u2013 90% with a re-offending rate of 31% which gives us a 69% success rate. If you bear in mind the offender footprint is 77% we can evidence the fact that we have a greater success rate with a tougher client group when we have those business partnerships\u201d.<\/p>\n Business partnerships with Hawk Plant, Amey plc and BAM Construction are currently underway and being developed to continue with this work. The WMP is also working with organisations including CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) and CPA to bring achievable solutions to the skills shortage within the construction sector. PC Hill concluded:<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just large companies we want to engage with \u2013 we are encouraging SME\u2019s (small medium enterprises) to participate. By realising their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Footprint and committing to the CITB\u2019s FIR (Be Fair Frame Work) and the CITB\u2019s Go Construct campaign \u2013 together with the Prince\u2019s Trust Team Programme, we have the potential to fill some of the thousands of construction vacancies with previously undiscovered talent \u2013 everyone deserves a break and a second chance to realise their potential.<\/p>\n \u201cOther police services are interested and as some of these businesses are national and even global, there is a real opportunity to share this best practice nationally. Companies like Amey have already communicated this desire.\u201d \u25a0<\/p>\n To register for the CPA conference visit www.cpa.uk.net<\/a><\/strong> and follow the CPA on Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/span> .<\/p>\n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<\/p>\n