Morgan Sindall Construction celebrates young people’s achievements on Salford employability programme
Hard hats, hands-on learning and new experiences have all been part of the journey for a group of young people taking part in this summer’s construction programme in Salford. On 19 August, they celebrated their progress and achievements at a special Celebration Day.
The event marked the completion of a bespoke construction strand of the city’s employability programme, delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction.
Originally conceived by Career Connect 10 years ago in partnership with Salford City Council, and more recently delivered in-house within the council’s Skills and Work Team, the scheme offers young people a first step towards valuable skills and improves their chances of finding a job or further training.
Each year, some young people struggle to make the transition from secondary school to their next destination, due to the long summer break, with the long summer break increasing the chances of disengagement before the new academic year begins. Morgan Sindall Construction has supported the construction strand of the programme, this year through work experience at the University of Salford Acoustics Laboratory project.
The wider programme runs alongside other strands offering young people different routes to stay engaged over the summer. These include Riding to Success, a bike maintenance programme delivered with Manchester Bike Kitchen in Swinton, a construction programme delivered by Frameworks Social Enterprise CIC at the Peel Green Construction Skills Centre, and a nails and beauty programme delivered by Pink Academy in Walkden. Together, they give young people across Salford a choice of routes suited to their own interests and next steps.
This year’s cohort included school leavers facing significant additional challenges in their lives, for whom the risk of falling out of education, employment or training is especially high without the right support at the right time.
The programme opened on 28 July, with participants spending the following three Tuesdays on site, before marking its culmination with the Celebration Day, where participants were joined by families, supporters and programme partners to reflect on what they had achieved. Held the day before GCSE results day, the event gave young people the chance to celebrate their achievements and look ahead to the exciting opportunities waiting for them after school.
Last year, Morgan Sindall Construction’s programme was delivered at the Cenza construction site in New Bailey, Salford, a residential development delivered for ECF. The programme attracted more than 50 referrals, with young people taking part in site visits and practical sessions covering partitioning and spray plaster, kitchen installation, joinery, flooring and painting, alongside employability and soft-skills sessions delivered by Career Connect. Most participants from that programme have since moved on to positive destinations, with continued support in place for others still working towards theirs.
Cllr Michele Barnes, Lead Member for Skills and Work, Workforce and Industrial Relations, said:
Every summer, hundreds of young people across Salford are at risk of losing momentum before they have the chance to make a strong start in September. Programmes like this, delivered with partners such as Morgan Sindall Construction, help keep them engaged and supported during this time period. Last year was proof of what that support can achieve, with most participants moving on to positive destinations, and we're proud to see that work continue this year.”
Steven Gregory, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction, said:
Watching this year’s group finish the programme and see what they've achieved has been genuinely rewarding. Construction can open doors for young people who might not otherwise picture themselves in our industry, and it's a privilege to be part of giving them that first experience - on a real site, working alongside our teams and hearing directly from the people who do these jobs every day.”
Supporting young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) remains one of the most important social and economic challenges facing communities across the UK. An estimated 987,000 16-24 year-olds were NEET across the UK at the end of 2024, around 13.4% of that age group. More recent government figures for England show a similar picture, with roughly 840,000 young people, or one in eight, NEET in late 2025.
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For further information, please contact: Chris Hulme T: 07971 350116 [email protected]