Opening Doors to Construction

Good operational practice creating opportunities for young ex-offenders

Joanna HillsOperations Director

Construction Youth Trust helps:

• Young people, aged 14-30

• From disadvantaged backgrounds including offenders.

• To help access training, education and employment in construction.

“I’m now planning to start a civil engineering course now. The Construction Youth Trust helped me find out about courses and funding, it’s as if all these doors have been opened for me.” Vicki, Newport

Our aims

“The most valuable lesson that any child can learn is that he or she can achieve a great deal more by becoming part of a team than they ever could on their own.” HRH The Duke of Gloucester

• Raise industry awareness and aspirations.

• Increase confidence.

• Provide real work experience and qualifications.

• Widen access to construction jobs.

• Increase diversity and equality in the construction industry.

• Showcase hidden talent to employers.

“For some young people this is a first opportunity. I’m very proud to be involved with a programme that helps to give opportunities to young people furthest away from employment.” Mary O’Shaughnessy, Enterprise

Our programmes• Mobile Classrooms - Hands-on

construction training in deprived areas.

• Pathways to Success/ Real Apprentice - Unemployed residents do environmental or community improvements.

• Budding Brunels - Year 12 careers experience.

• Pink Ladies - DIY and construction skills for young women.

• Toolkit for Life - For offenders to bridge the gap between custody and employment.

“The sessions have been a real eye opener and I can’t get enough of them - while my youngest child is being cared for in the crèche, I'm out learning new skills!.”Sarah

•Local authorities and housing associations

•Contractors, developers, clients and consultants

•Schools and colleges

•Local community organisations

•Prisons and Youth Offending Teams

Partners we work with

“Finding out who you are and what you want to do takes work – but it’s worth it I feel positive about the future now.”Naomi, Sheffield

‘7 Pathways to Reducing Re-offending’, National Offender Management Service:

Having a job can reduce the risk of re-offending by 33-50%

National Council for Independent Monitoring Boards :

Almost 90% of prisoners under the age of 21 re-offend within 2 years.

Prison Reform Trust, Bromley Briefing:

97% express a desire not to re-offend and of those 68% cite having a job as the main factor that would enable this

Offender background facts

‘Toolkit for Life’ modelAwareness/confidence-raising

Work experience

ETE brokerage Mentoring

Advice & guidance

Practical construction training

In-work support

Qualifications

CV building/ application support

Resettlement consortia• Established by the Youth Justice Board

across the country.

• Aim: to resettle young ex-offenders on release.

• Through-the-gate, multi-agency public and voluntary sector partnership.

• Multi agency partnership enabling support for complex and multiple needs.

“I found CYT ..a massive support to inmates as they helped me to gain a result for work as I was not confident to get a job. I think that their role is important to others.’ Beneficiary at Stepnell Ltd

• Young people met inside the institutions.

• Talent identified and nurtured.

• Employers taken inside institutions.

• Use of ‘Release on Temporary Licence’

• A network of mobile staff pro-actively engaging employers and providers

• ETE opportunities offered local to each young person on release.

The Trust’s role

“It is essential that we invest in our young people and engage and excite them about the built environment.” Vinci Plc

• Engaged over 700 young offenders over the course of the project.

• Placed 189 young people into ETE

• Exceeded YJB targets by 37%.

• 167 young people gained CSCS cards.

• Developed a network of nearly 100 committed employers.

• A wealth of good practice and policy-linked learning

Outcomes

“I did four weeks work experience organised by the Trust and was inspired by the people I worked with. I came right out and asked them for an apprenticeship!” Diego, London

• Cost per engagement = £571

• Cost per successful ETE placement = £2121.

• Private sector in-kind contribution = approx £75,040.

• Social Return on Investment for the consortia as a whole, Professor Neal Hazel, Uni of Salford = net savings of £700 per individual per year.

• The Trust will be reporting the SROI figure for its own work in August 2013.

Financial statistics and data

Key policy changes recom’d:

•A multi-agency and consistent approach to address multiple and complex needs.

•Sympathetic administration of the benefits system to help ETE.

•Clear and long-term funding commitments to minimise uncertainty and low morale.

•Pro-active use of Release on Temporary Licence, CSCS (& similar) training & external visits into custody.

•Realistic pay for apprenticeships to cover living costs for young people without family support.

•Clients and planning authorities to require local labour and training, with ring-fenced opportunities for vulnerable groups, and commitments strictly enforced.

Case studies:18 years old, Southampton, 39 offences 2004-11. We met him in custody and helped him get a CSCS card, CV and Carillion apprenticeship but he left. Recommended him to Amey and supported at interview. He completed a work trial, but failed the apprenticeship test. Area Engineer insisted on retaining him anyway . Now employed >12m. Not re-offended .

17 years old, Leeds. The Trust first met him at an event we arranged in custody. We introduced him to Caddick whilst released on temporary licence, which led to a work placement. We then brokered a two year apprenticeship for him with Enterprise to become a fully qualified gas mains layer. Excellent feedback from his site.

"I’m really happy. I thought my background would stop me from getting a job. I am gaining experience in all aspects of the highways contract office and really enjoying it".

Young woman, 17, Winchester. Unemployed for a year, responded well to coaching. Two-week work placement at a highways contractors’ office with Amey. Good performance led to a permanent contract. Has not re-offended.

Joanna Hills , Operations Director

Construction Youth TrustThe Building Centre26 Store StreetLondonWC1E 7BT

T: 020 7467 9541          E: joanna.hills@cytrust.org.ukwww.constructionyouth.org.uk