Talbot Gateway project helps young people into work

A major Blackpool regeneration programme has supported a dozen young people to find their first jobs

The new Blackpool town centre office for Department of Work and Pensions will be home to over 3,000 civil servants when it opens early next year, but its construction is already having a positive impact on the local economy.

Blackpool Council, developer Muse and main contractor VINCI Building have worked together to ensure that local people and businesses benefit from the town’s biggest construction project since The Blackpool Tower.

A construction skills centre created on site has helped 16 young people from Blackpool who had left school without jobs to complete qualifications and find work experience learning skills such as bricklaying, plastering and fire protection.

By the end of the programme, 12 of the young people impressed so much on site that they found permanent work with sub-contractors, helping them to start their careers in the construction industry.

Penial Jonah, 16, who lives in the town centre, had no recognised qualifications when arriving on site. Through the construction skills centre programme, he has completed qualifications in English and Maths, as well as training with JCS Interiors and has now registered on a full time T Level studying Design, Planning and Management.

He said: “I have learnt so many things on the course, including health and safety and why it is important, as well as bricklaying and groundwork skills. I loved creating designs with block paving. In future I would like to be an architect or a project manager.”

The young people on the scheme approached The Platform, Blackpool Council’s job and skills hub for young people, and the onsite training provided by Skills Construction Centre.

For Charlie Congleton, 17, from South Shore, he completed school with little qualifications but had a passion for working in construction. Having completed his qualifications at the skills centre, he completed work experience in plastering with JCS Interiors where he’s now been employed as a labourer and trainee plasterer.

He added: “I’ve loved this course and the time I’ve spent with JCS Interiors and the team. I’m always open to learning new skills and anything that will benefit me. Plastering will always be my main ambition.”

As well as supporting young people to find work on the building construction, the project has created 223 jobs, with one third of those hired locally, from mechanical supervisors and tele handlers, through to security, labouring and cleaning. Over 60 people were taken out of unemployment by the scheme.

Over £25m has been spent with local SMEs as sub-contractors, ranging from engineering consultancy, demolition works, structural steelwork, concrete drilling and HVAC solutions all sourced from within 30 miles of the construction site.

Finally, almost 500 weeks of apprenticeships for local students have been created, with 20 local school visits carried out to discuss careers in construction.

Cllr Jo Farrell, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for Communities and Wellbeing, said: “The scale of regeneration taking place in Blackpool right now is huge, and is designed to grow our local economy and create jobs for local people.

“We’re keen to make sure that our regeneration is about people, just as much as it is about places. To do that, we have a clause in our contracts that ensures all contractors who work with us commit to finding local workers and using local businesses where possible.

“For such a large project, we wanted to make sure that local people felt the benefits as soon as the first spade hit the ground. For the young people who completed qualifications and found work as a result of the scheme, that is a fantastic outcome which will hopefully springboard them to a successful career in construction, starting their adult life with secure, quality employment, and an opportunity to continue learning.”

The seven-storey building is being delivered by Blackpool Council, alongside nationwide placemaker, Muse, and main contractor VINCI Building.

The new office building is the third phase in Blackpool’s £350m redevelopment of the Talbot Gateway around Blackpool North train station, which in total will bring over 8,000 professional workers and students into the town centre.

The regeneration of Talbot Gateway has already delivered the 125,000 sq ft Number One Bickerstaffe Square council office, a Sainsbury’s supermarket, and a refurbished 650-space multi-storey car park, alongside extensive public spaces for the community to enjoy.

A new 4 star 144-bedroom Holiday Inn hotel and Marco Pierre White New York Italian restaurant opened in May, while a tram-train interchange linking to Blackpool Promenade opened in June.

Plans have also been approved for a Multiversity campus for Blackpool and the Fylde College, bringing up to 3,000 students and staff into the area.

Elsewhere, full planning permission has been secured by Muse and Blackpool Council for a new 52,950 sq ft office off Talbot Road which would be home to over 1,000 employees, while plans for a new multi-storey car park are expected to be submitted shortly. All of these developments will help to bring new people into the town centre, increasing footfall, and boosting trade for local businesses.

For more information about plans to make Blackpool better, visit www.blackpool.gov.uk/betterblackpool and to enquire about moving your business into the Talbot Gateway visit www.talbotgateway.com.