Tony enrolled on our Post-16 Support Programme in October 2022 when he was 18 years old. He had struggled to find his path since leaving school.

Having just started a construction course at Lewisham College, he wanted to explore his creative side by pursuing a career in painting and decorating, but didn’t know where to start. Before he could secure any site-based role, he would need his Level 1 Health and Safety qualification and CSCS card and this was the first step in us being able to support him.

“I always enjoyed drawing at school, so I knew I wanted to...

Archie was referred to us by his father towards the end of 2022, at the age of 16. With two years’ experience working as a labourer for family and friends, he wanted to stay in construction but progress in a trade. However, he didn’t know where to start in finding out his options.

“I’d done construction for two years beforehand but wanted to be qualified in a specific trade and thought CYT would help me focus on that instead of just continuing labouring.”

Through our Building Opportunities programme, Archie’s coach secured him a work...

Michael was referred onto our Building Opportunities programme by Lewisham council. He was unemployed and looking to kickstart his career.

He had an interest in the construction industry with aspirations of becoming a project manager. However, with no CV, relevant work experience or knowledge of how to access opportunities, Michael was floundering.

“At first, I felt like I was in the dark and tentative about what I was going to do. I couldn’t thank my coach enough for showing me all the different routes and pathways into construction. It was amazing to have so...

We first met Victoria when she was 17 - she had a real passion for sustainability but didn’t know how to turn this into a meaningful career.

Through Pathways to Professional Careers, we opened Victoria’s eyes to the breadth of ‘green’ career and apprenticeship pathways in the built environment sector. Victoria’s Construction Youth Trust (CYT) coach connected her to a range of inspiring industry volunteers, including a Social Sustainability Manager working directly on her organisation’s social and environmental policies. This encounter was a real...

We first met Joshua in September 2021, after being referred to us by Southwark Works. Joshua joined our Southwark targeted support programme following his Level 1 Engineering Course at college as he wanted to pursue an electrical engineering apprenticeship but needed some additional support with accessing industry opportunities.

Joshua is a very driven young man with a clear passion for the construction industry. His Construction Youth Trust coach enrolled Joshua on our Level 1 Health & Safety and CSCS card course, while also supporting him with various employability sessions such as...

We first met 18-year-old Theon when he attended our Careers Carousel event at Lewisham College after completing his Level 1 Plumbing Diploma. He then joined our Lewisham targeted supported programme, funded by Children in Need.

Theon expressed an interest in plumbing and gas/heating fitting apprenticeships during his 1-2-1 sessions with his Construction Youth Trust coach. It was essential that Theon was booked onto the Construction Youth Trust CSCS course to support the next stage of his career journey.

Theon worked closely with his Construction Youth Trust coach to identify areas...

Emmanuel joined us as a self-referral in October 2021, after wanting to pursue a career in construction, with a particular interest in getting into mechanical engineering in the future. He was seeking training or work opportunities but was unsure how to access the sector, so he joined our Southwark targeted support programme and soon started our partnership programme with Niblock.

Alongside Emmanuel, four other young people took part in the eight-week employment readiness programme delivered in partnership with Niblock. Following the programme, Niblock were looking to offer one young...

Sam* joined our targeted support programme at the end of 2020, generously funded by Children in Need and Youth Futures Foundation. He had outgrown traditional classroom learning and was unsure about his next steps but knew he wanted to explore more practical opportunities.

With the support of Sam’s mum, we built a trusted relationship so we could all explore together his best next steps. Suffering from anxiety, the unknown can be challenging for Sam.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were not able to offer face-to-face support for Sam. However, we delivered...