Training isn’t the finish line. Employment is.
Cidori recently brought together construction employers and key skills and employment partners for a Construction Employer Breakfast Networking Event, hosted by Buckinghamshire College Group at its Aylesbury Campus.
Delivered in collaboration with Buckinghamshire College Group, CITB and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the event created an opportunity for employers to make valuable connections, learn more about the support available to their businesses and discuss some of the workforce challenges facing the construction sector.
Connecting employers with local talent
A key theme throughout the morning was the importance of connecting skills provision more closely with genuine employer demand.
Construction employers need people, while local people need opportunities to start and build sustainable careers. Bringing the two together requires strong collaboration between employers, colleges, employment support organisations and industry partners.
Through Cidori’s Into Work partnership with Buckinghamshire College Group, local people can access an Introduction to Construction programme designed to help prepare them for their first opportunity in the industry.
Learners develop essential health and safety knowledge, gain an understanding of working safely on site and achieve their CSCS card – helping them become better prepared to take that important first step into employment.
But at Cidori, we believe training is only part of the journey.
Training isn’t the finish line. Employment is.
That is why employer engagement sits at the heart of our approach.
Making it easier for employers to get involved
Every four to five weeks, the programme introduces another 18–25 construction candidates into the local Buckinghamshire employment market.
Employers can support this emerging talent pipeline in a number of ways – from speaking to learners about careers within their business and offering work experience or interviews, to simply sharing current and future vacancies.
For employers, there is no recruitment fee and no obligation – just an opportunity to connect with motivated candidates looking for their first opportunity in construction.
The event also gave employers the opportunity to hear more about CITB grants, funding and industry support, alongside the recruitment and employment support available through DWP.
Together, these partnerships can help create a more joined-up approach to addressing local workforce needs.
Building the workforce of the future
The discussion also looked beyond immediate recruitment needs to the longer-term challenge of developing and retaining skilled people.
Apprenticeships can play an important role in that journey – not simply as an entry route into an industry, but as a strategic workforce development tool.
They can help employers recruit new talent, develop existing employees, address skills gaps and create future supervisors, managers and technical specialists.
By connecting pre-employment provision, employment and apprenticeships, we can create clearer progression pathways:
Employment → Further Training → Apprenticeships → Long-term Careers
For employers, this approach can help build sustainable talent pipelines while also supporting meaningful social value within the communities in which they operate.
Recruit local. Develop local. Retain local.
Partnership that leads to positive outcomes
The event demonstrated what can be achieved when employers, education, skills and employment partners come together around a shared goal.
A huge thank you to Buckinghamshire College Group for hosting the event, to CITB and DWP for sharing their expertise, and to all the employers and partners who joined us and contributed to the conversations.
At Cidori, our role is to help make these connections happen – bringing together colleges, employers and employment partners to turn skills provision into positive outcomes.
Because ultimately, success isn’t simply about how many people complete a course.
It’s about where that opportunity takes them next.
If you are a construction employer looking to recruit entry-level talent, develop your existing workforce or explore how apprenticeships and skills programmes could support your future workforce needs, get in touch with Cidori to start the conversation.
