The latest course of the London Construction Academy took place during May. This was the second time that the course had been run using a three-week rather than two-week format. Of the 25 candidates who had reserved spaces, only 11 attended on the first day. However, of these, 10 completed the whole course with six passing the London Bronze Pass. The Academy is supported by the Worshipful Company of Paviors, and the Master of the Paviors joined the students on their graduation day and presented their certificates.
Two employers, Tarmac and CAT Surveys, came along to the training centre and met the class. Both explained in detail what they are looking for in employees and what employees can expect to gain from training with their companies. The time that Tarmac and CAT Surveys spent was most appreciated: they answered questions from the class and then stayed on for the morning to interact with participants on a one-to-one basis. Job opportunities from these employers were released to the class and the Academy is now in the process of co-ordinating interest. At the time of writing, three participants had found employment and a number of others have had interviews.
This was the second time a three-week course had been run, and the outcomes were not as good as in previous years in terms of numbers attending. A further issue is that it has proved challenging to keep the attention of the candidates for the full three weeks. However, it is clear that the right target group is being hit of those who truly do need help. For the next course, consideration is being given to reverting to a two-week course format to improve induction rates and outcomes in terms of achieving the London Bronze Pass.