HBF confirms participants for Partner a College programme

The Home Builders Federation has confirmed the colleges and housebuilders who will participate in its two-year pilot to bridge the gap between education and employment.

HBF’s Partner a College programme, funded by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), seeks to address the fact that fewer than 40% of construction students in further education progress into the sector. And many employers, particularly smaller firms, “struggle to navigate an overly complex education and apprenticeship system”.

The pilot, according to HBF, marries curriculum content “with real-world site demands” to give students the practical skills employers seek. The programme will help colleges deliver training that reflects the pace, standards and expectations of modern building sites.

Participating housebuilders will work with colleges to help create the course content, provide classroom and workshop support, host site visits and offer work placements for hands-on experience of the sector.

Ten further education colleges in England are taking part in the pilot: Oaklands College; Loughborough College/SMB College Group; Hugh Baird College; Preston College; Moulton College; York College; West Suffolk College; Moreton Morrell College; Walsall College and Nottingham College.

A wide range of housebuilders and suppliers have been selected to participate as …