Stories

At the Build East Skills Centre, learners are not just gaining qualifications — they’re building real futures in the construction industry.

Formwork is a crucial part of construction, involving the creation of temporary or permanent moulds into which concrete is poured to form structural elements like columns, beams, walls, and slabs. Skilled formworkers are in high demand across major infrastructure and building projects, making it a valuable trade for those starting a construction career.

We caught up with two recent graduates of our Formwork Bootcamp, Jordan and Jabril, to hear about their experiences, journeys, and successes after completing the course.

After spending three years as a stay-at-home mum and previously working in education, Barbera Matthews decided it was time for a new beginning. Eager for a career change and drawn to the construction industry, she sought an opportunity that would equip her with the technical skills, industry knowledge, and confidence needed to transition successfully. Not even Barbera would have predicted that a chance encounter at Canada Water Library, with an understanding stranger, would lead to the career change she had been searching for. 

In the Southwest, we are working in partnership with BMSL Group and Wilson James to meet the demand for construction logistics workers for a major infrastructure project. The program delivers tailored skills training including Health and Safety, Site Logistics and Fire Awareness training. 

After completing their training, many of the learners have continued into full-time employment with Wilson James, and are thriving in their new roles.

"Our company is committed to creating a lasting legacy beyond the completion of the project. To achieve this, we developed a program aimed at equipping individuals with essential skills for entering the construction logistics industry. The program included comprehensive training in Health and Safety, COSHH, and logistics expertise. Participants gained hands-on experience during the training, ensuring they developed realistic expectations of the industry. The cohort proved highly successful, with all participants graduating fully prepared to embark on their logistics careers." - Wilson James

We recently hosted a womens construction bootcamp at the Earls Court Skills Centre with the aim of supporting local women into careers in construction. The two-part course began with two weeks spent at the centre to learn key skills, later culminating in participants taking their CSCS tests to gain their Green Cards. We caught up with a few of the course attendees after their first two weeks to see how they got on.

Our brand new centre, opened in partnership with Measoms, has just seen its first class of pre-employment learners complete their three-week course. Our construction pre-employment course is a fantastic way of gaining the skills and qualifications you need to start a career in construction. Interactive training, classroom discussions, case studies, teamwork, individual/group presentations, yard-based practical training, on-site experience and self-study outside of the classroom. 

We were lucky enough to sit down with some of the learners who have completed their training to find out more about their experiences… 

Samual Ajayi, a recent participant on our Insulation and Dry Lining Bootcamp at Southwark Construction Skills Centre, joined us to talk about his experience. 

We had the chance to catch up with Emily Villas, who recently completed our insulation and dry lining bootcamp at the Southwark Construction Skills Centre 

Harry was introduced to construction when he completed our free pre-employment programme at The Skills Centre in Southwark in 2021.