North East businesses reintroduce award-winning employability programme to boost local skills

For 2022’s National Careers Week, North East based Esh Construction, along with a collective of local contemporaries, has relaunched an award-winning employability initiative.

A group of North East businesses have reintroduced Building My Skills (BMS), an initiative founded more than 10 years ago by Esh Construction, Ryder, and Arup, which aims to showcase a variety of sectors, raise aspirations, and boost employability skills.

The programme sees long-serving business partners return and an influx of new businesses come together to deliver quality careers and employability information to over 1,900 students from 12 NELEP schools in Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland and Sunderland.

Year 10, 11, and Sixth Form students will receive three timetabled workshops, where speakers will offer insights into the sector, their own career pathways and employability skills they value. An interview and opportunities day will round off the programme in June.

Darush Dodds, corporate affairs director at Esh Construction, said: “Since its conception, BMS has provided over 2,000 free, high-quality workshops to over 50,000 students.

“The combination of the pandemic subsiding, revived interest from long-standing business partners and the chance to partner with OneVoice provided the perfect opportunity to relaunch our new model ahead of a full roll out from September.

“Programmes which bring together business and education are integral in helping students make informed decisions about their future and develop employability skills that all employers value.”

Nik Turner, executive director of Believe Housing and chair of OneVoice People Group, added: “The OneVoice construction strategy aims to provide an inclusive culture within the North East construction sector with the themes of climate, people and value underpinning our aims.

“We believe it is important that we continue to retain, reward, and celebrate our existing people, however, it is essential that we also attract new people into the sector.”

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