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Training

The branch is working with local schools in the community to promote summer work experience programmes for 16 to 21 year olds.

The programmes have been designed and developed by our experienced supervisory team with the objective of providing candidates with practical experience of working in building maintenance. This gives them the opportunity to consider this as a career choice whilst, at the same time, obtaining an overview of Rydon as an organisation and business. Successful candidates can then look forward to the possibility of being selected as an apprentice and of becoming a full-time employee at Rydon.

The programme provides Rydon with a structured approach to creating employment opportunities and enables us to establish objectives and measurements of our success rates. It also enables us to continuously improve the programme by carefully observing how young peoplerespond to different learning experiences and what is most successful in generating enthusiasm and positive motivation.

The Programme Drivers

Whilst there has been a significant reduction in construction activity since the current economic crisis began, it is, nonetheless, clear that construction will continue to provide one of the greatest opportunities for young people to develop long term career prospects, either asemployees or as self-employed skilled tradesmen and women.

Even with the prospects of significant reductions in government funding for future public sector projects, construction will remain one of the largest industries in the country and a significant employer of both skilled and unskilled labour. The industry has a responsibility to contribute to the recovery of the economy by promoting opportunities for people to get into employment wherever this is possible. To do so, we need to build new relationships with schools if we are to improve the flow of young people into the built environment. Alan Tyler, of Loughborough University, has commented, "Programmes like Building Awareness are essential for persuading and preparing students for Higher Education."

In 2006, Rydon Maintenance engaged with local schools and offered a week's work experience to pupils during the summer holidays. Our initial trial, with Patcham School, in Brighton, gained a lot of interest and publicity. Since then, six young people have had the opportunity of working on our summer work experience programmes.

Rydon is committed to developing skills for school pupils and we look forward to an influx of good people into our work force. The work experience schemes were designed to inspire young people to want to work in our industry and, hopefully, at Rydon.

"If you lead the people with correctness, who will dare not be correct"

Confucius

The Benefits

The primary benefit of the work experience initiative is to enable us to identify and select the most appropriate young people to join our team. At the same time it allows us to provide opportunities for young people looking for employment in the communities in which we operate. Running successful programmes such as these enhances our reputation with our clients and partners and improves our image as a good employer.

By encouraging, advising, facilitating and promoting workforce developments, the resulting benefits are kept within the community, the skills base in the community is increased thereby contributing to the sustainability of the local area.

Taking Action

After participating in a work experience week in conjunction with Downland Housing Association, Rydon Maintenance offered 15 year old Denzel Martin, a year 10 pupil at the Cardinal Newman Catholic School, in Hove, the opportunity of undertaking a weeklong work experience programme based at our offices in East Grinstead.

The programme, which ran from the 22nd to the 26th of June 2009,was organised as follows:

• Day1- We carried out site induction and a young's person risk assessment.
• Denzel shadowed the Helpdesk in taking repair requests from residents and was shown how repair works are scheduled on our in-house Computer Aided
• Facilities Management System.
• Day 2 - Denzel shadowed a plumber, carrying out repairs to leaking sink taps, installing wash hand basins and fitting new bath taps.
• Day 3- Was spent shadowing a multi-trade operative carrying out fencing repairs, changing locks and easing and adjusting Upvc windows
• Day 4 - Denzel spent the day with a carpenter/multi trade operative, renewing internal doors, kitchen worktops and ground works.
• Day 5- He worked with a multi trade operative laying paving slabs, repairing kitchen units and unblocking bath drains.

At the conclusion of his week's experience, Rydon's Service Manager, Richard Pickup, presented Denzel with a quality tool kit. The gift was:

• Reward him for his enthusiasm and efforts during the week.
• To assist in sustaining his enthusiasm for the repairs and maintenance industry.
• To remind him that Rydon will be following his educational studies with a view to considering him for an apprenticeship
• To enable him to practice completing minor jobs at home

All the team at Rydon were very pleased with Denzel's attitude and the interest he demonstrated in building maintenance.

During programmes such as that we ran for Denzel, Rydon's Training and Education Manager liaises with the young person's tutors and supervisors to ensure that they are progressing with their work experience.

Why CSR? -Doing Well Through Doing Good

The work experience initiative forms part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme. We consider it good CSR because it meets Rydon's business needs whilst contributing to the improvement and sustainability of the communities in which we are working, as set out in our CSR Policy.

What Next?

With the successful implementation of the work experience programme, we are teaming up with a number of local schools to promote further summer work experience programmes.

Rydon Maintenance and Downland Housing are in the process of implementing the "Home Maintenance Training Courses" in sheltered schemes, hostels and community centres in the community.

The courses will include:

Carpentry

• How to hang a cupboard door
• Fixing/putting up shelves
• Fitting locks
• Fixing hinges

Plumbing

• Fixing a leaking tap
• How to change a tap washer
• Repair leak to a sink

Electrics

• Electrical safety
• How to re-wire a plug
• How to change a fuse

Plastering

• Mixing plaster
• Applying plaster