European Social Fund in England

Jacobs’ ladder to success

Chichester College managed an LSC Co-financed ESF project aimed at ‘Increasing the number of Construction workers with Maintenance NVQ Level 2’. This was part of the ESF funding round called ‘On Your Marks’ to support the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games to be held in the UK. The purpose of this funding was to increase and develop the skills of those working in the Construction, Sports and Recreation Sectors.

A Havant-based construction company was one of the companies to benefit from the project, by reaping the benefits of putting its workforce through a Maintenance NVQ.

Jacobs Construction is a leading repair and maintenance provider to local authorities, housing associations, schools and colleges.

Between them, its 50 full-time staff have getting on for a thousand years’ experience in multi-trade skills from carpentry to plumbing to building and repair. That’s why they’re entrusted with hundreds of critical maintenance jobs for some of the most vulnerable people in society every week. But they had little to show on paper for this hard-won expertise.

Richard Cooper, Jacobs’ business development manager, says the Maintenance NVQ not only recognises this expertise, but demonstrates a high level of competence to clients present and future.

“It’s a good morale boost too, and shows a real commitment from their employer in investing in their training and development.”

It is also, he adds, extremely good value for money:

“We paid an employer contribution for each candidate, and got £100 of that back as a grant from the CITB-Construction Skills. The assessor did all the paperwork, and gathered all the site-based evidence, so there’s little disruption to the guys out on site.”

Plumber Hugh Foster is one of the 19 employees to benefit:

“I’d forgotten just how much I’ve learnt over the years. Some of the questions certainly challenged my grey matter, but it’s good to be recognised for what valuable work I do every day.”

Chichester College’s ESF team managed two other ‘On Your Marks’ projects. The total contract value of all 3 projects was £1.46m.