Member Article

Barratt Homes ‘builds’ skills in next generation of construction workers

A group of directors at Barratt Homes’ Southampton Division has been providing young people in Hampshire with the skills they need for a career in construction, at a dedicated ‘Skills Day’ event.

Eight staff members from the leading housebuilder, including the Sales Director, Finance Director and Commercial Director, went along to Havant’s Link Up Youth Hub last week and offered a series of ‘skills-building’ sessions to young people seeking work.

The Barratt employees carried out mock interviews over 20 minutes using the STAR technique – asking participants for a Situation, a Task, an Activity and a Result where they have made a difference or learned through experience. Each person was also given feedback on their interview to help guide them for future job opportunities.

Attendees were also given a “people like me” task as a way of understanding what their personality types were and what jobs might suit them best. They were also given talks from representatives at Portsmouth Carpentry about transferrable skills, to help them understand what their motivations and ambitions are. Attendees were also invited to a workshop with a former BBC journalist who talked them through confidence and other skills to help them improve their interview technique.

Barratt Homes Sales Director, Tammy Bishop, was there on the day and said events like this are a great way to inspire the next generation of builders in the region.

She said: “It’s extremely important that we work in tandem with the communities where we are building new homes, and by working closely with young people in the local area, we can offer training to the budding construction workers out there. It was great to see all the young people getting stuck into the tasks we put in front of them today and I wish them lots of luck in their future careers.”

Havant’s Link Up Youth Hub offers one to-one training, support and advice for young people living in the Havant Borough looking for employment or further education opportunities.

Hannah Haynes, organiser of the project, said: “These workshops offer crucial advice and real-world experiences that really do make a difference. We often find that those who attend the workshops go on to work in a sector they love or find out about further education opportunities they perhaps didn’t realise were open to them before.

“The feedback we had from our session with Barratt Homes was extremely positive and we are grateful to everyone who came along and gave their time to help support our young people and inspire them to take their next steps.”

Barratt Homes works in tandem with the communities where it is building new homes, to create career opportunities for young people.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Barratt Homes .