School holiday construction classes for city teens

A youth charity and a construction training organisation have been providing teenagers with a hands-on taste of the building trade during the school holidays.

About 20 teenagers from Stoke-on-Trent signed up to the programme, being run by The Hubb Foundation and The Spark Group.

Daniel Canavan, founder of The Spark Group, said more than a fifth of the city's construction workforce was aged over 55, adding: "Trades say they are constantly struggling to find workers.

"There is real skills crisis on the horizon and massive demand for young people to bridge the gap across all construction trades."

The courses are aimed at 13-16-year-olds from deprived backgrounds, and those with special educational needs.

They are taught the basics of electrical skills, painting and decorating, woodwork and plumbing.

Canavan said: "We want to show youngsters who may not know about these opportunities there is a great future for them in this industry."

All four courses being arranged had been fully booked, which Canavan said showed the ambition of local teenagers.

"We really believe these courses could be just the spark they need to put them on a great career path that benefits the city and gives them brilliant opportunities," he added.

Jane Sawyers, chair of The Hubb Foundation, said the charity's wider Easter holiday programme included 10,000 free-of-charge activity places for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable youngsters across the city.

"We support young people in care, those with special educational needs and young people who have few role models in their life, so this construction skills course shows them the great career pathways on their doorstep," she said.

According to data from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, more than a third of the city's population are classed as being among the 10% most deprived in England.

More than 19,000 local children are classed as living in absolute poverty.

Since it was launched in 2019, the Huub Foundation has helped deliver more than a million meals to vulnerable children and their families.

The organisation was set up to support the physical and emotional wellbeing of disadvantaged children and raise their aspirations and resilience.

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