Leeds college builds solid future with “substantial” donation from housing developer

The Leeds College of Building has received a substantial donation of bricks for education and training purposes from a local property developer.

Persimmon Homes, headquartered in Leeds, arranged for the 72 packs of house bricks to be delivered to the college, enough to keep aspiring bricklayers busy for the foreseeable future.

Steve Connell, faculty director in construction crafts, said: “On behalf of the College and the brickwork department, I would like to thank Persimmon Homes for this generous donation.

“It will allow us to continue delivering excellent teaching, learning and assessment to a large and broad range of bricklaying students. These include apprentices, full-time students, and adult learners.”

Steve Roberts, brickwork tutor at Leeds College of Building, said: “This really is an astonishing quantity of bricks to donate to the College and we can’t thank Persimmon enough. Using industry-standard materials is vital for our training.

“Our students need to learn the right skills to become the next generation of building professionals and plug critical bricklaying talent gaps in the industry.”

The brick donation is the latest development in the partnership which has seen Persimmon Homes representatives tour the College’s vast brickwork facilities. The housebuilder has also employed two full-time students as apprentice bricklayers.

Stuart Galloway, construction director at Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire, added: “With many developments across the region and potentially more than five new sites expected to begin this year, we know how important it is to support construction students and help develop a diverse, talented workforce for the years ahead.

“Demand for quality new homes shows no sign of slowing, so it is vital to maintain a pipeline of fully trained talent to meet the needs of the local economy.

“That’s why we work closely with the college in an effort to help students learn their trade and offer hands-on experience in all aspects of construction. We’d like to think that some of today’s students will progress into apprenticeships and fulfilling careers within the industry – and with Persimmon Homes.”

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