Get into Home Building

The home building industry is a major employer in Scotland, with every home built estimated to support four jobs.

However, skill shortages have been identified as a major barrier to increasing production as the economy and housing market recover.

For this reason, Homes for Scotland and The Prince’s Trust, in partnership with CITB and Edinburgh College, piloted a "Get into Home Building" programme in 2014.

Fourteen unemployed young people participated in the five week course, developing skills across a variety of trade disciplines (including carpentry, plastering, brickwork and painting and decorating) and gaining hands-on work experience with some of Homes for Scotland's member companies.

In addition to acquiring valuable site knowledge, the students also achieved CSCS site safety cards and received wider training to help improve communication, reliability, teamwork and CV/interview skills.

With all students having successfully completed the scheme, its positive impact is already being felt as nine have already secured jobs or full apprenticeships and others are still working with programme partners, considering their choices in light of their new found experience or going on to further education.

Following this success, the scheme was repeated in 2015 in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.  It could also be expanded across other specialisms including sales and technical roles.