Young people from Salford have been given a valuable glimpse into an industry-leading Passivhaus scheme as part of a ‘life-changing’ training programme.
The 177-home development, at Longshaw Drive in Little Hulton, Salford, is being delivered by Seddon. As part of Salford City Council’s Build Salford programme, a total of 15 young people were welcomed to the active construction site to understand more about the industry.
The £38m development is being constructed to Passivhaus principles. This is a building standard that seeks to prioritise and enhance energy efficiency, resulting in homes requiring little to no energy consumption for heating and cooling.
As the UK aims to reach Net Zero by 2050, this standard is increasingly being adopted by councils and developers.
The homes are part of Salford City Council’s largest affordable housing scheme for 50 years. A total of 417 new council and community-owned homes will be built once the project is complete.
Councillor Teresa Pepper, lead member for skills and work and business support services, said: “This enthusiastic group of young people were offered the wonderful opportunity to visit a live construction site as part of the Build Salford Traineeship.
“Green skills are vital to the future of the construction industry, helping us reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. Site visits like this give trainees invaluable insight into modern methods of construction and the skills needed for the future.
“For many on the programme, this will be their first time on a construction site, and the experience has given them a real understanding of health and safety procedures and how to conduct themselves in a live working environment.”
Build Salford offers a six-week traineeship programme for Salford residents between 16 and 24 years old who are interested in a career in the construction sector. Each of the young people were not in employment, education or training.
Participants will get the industry verified CSCS Card and guidance to complete a Level One Health and Safety course.
A key part of the programme is ‘getting site ready’, providing the young people with trade taster sessions, employer talks, site visits and employability classes.
Those interested can also pursue a work placement. Several of the people taking part in the programme go on to secure apprenticeships or work.
Lewis Welsby, contracts manager at Seddon Housing Partnerships, said: “It was fantastic to host these enthusiastic and inquisitive young people at our Longshaw Drive site in Little Hulton. It’s great to be able to extend the offer to the next generation of construction workers.
“Build Salford is a life-changing programme and we are proud to partner with the City Council on it.”
Seddon has worked in partnership with Salford City Council on its Build Salford programme for several years and sits on its advisory panel.
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