The Lighthouse Club - Club primes big CITY training scheme

Club primes big CITY training scheme

CITY President Rod Bennion and Club President Keith Clarke
pose with the key contribution for a major youth training project.

Our Club has joined forces with the Construction Industry Trust for Youth to enable a significant youth training project in South Wales to get off the ground. The Club's contribution was key to unlocking funds from regional, government, and training agencies, thus enabling a group of youngsters in Port Talbot to receive basic training in construction skills.

Although this may be seen as a new departure for the Club, (our Benevolent Fund is not involved), this isn't quite the case. In the Club's rules one of our four 'objects' is to 'support the education and training of young people in the construction industry and allied trades, who would otherwise be prohibited from doing so due to personal and financial hardship which is not of their own making'.

Hitherto this object has been met on an ad hoc basis with occasional applications being considered by Keith Chaundy and administered by Jane Lowry. But training young people is what CITY is for, and they have the ability and contacts to achieve that end in a professional manner.

Rod Bennion, CITY's President, was invited last year by Keith Clarke to make a presentation to National Council. As a result of Rod's presentation Council decided to pledge the sum of £20,000.

With that pledge CITY were able to plan a scheme that has resulted in other agencies putting in place funding to train a score of young people.

The first young people to benefit from the fund are likely to be in South Wales. "There," explains Philip Wildman of CITY, "we hope to receive a funding match from several sources, including Welsh regeneration. Our principal focus is on two Port Talbot schools where some 17 pupils will receive courses in basic construction skills starting in September. The course aims to equip them with an interest in employment in the industry, and a competitive edge in their application; and with possible further future funding, we hope to help additional students." This will be a 'hands on' enterprise for the Club. National Chairman Don Baldry has undertaken to monitor the scheme and will be visiting Port Talbot once training is underway. CITY also expects to support one young undergraduate civil engineer in Swansea with a grant of £2000 to cover his study for this (his third) year, and will be examining applications for one or two more grants in this summer round.

The Construction Industry Trust for Youth is a long established, (46years), charity which is supported by many leading figures in the Construction Industry. However, the Trust is adopting a new working name for everyday working and project branding. For some time now we have felt that the old name, especially in acronymic form (CITY), linked us too closely - and wrongly - with just the capital. The term "Construction Industry Trust for Youth" remains our registered title, however, with the Charities Commission and Companies House; the objectives of the Trust likewise remain unchanged.

Information regarding the Trust's aims and activities, and how you can help, are available at cyt@thecc.org.uk.