Dean visited MACS Plasterboard Systems to find out more about their training initiatives and apprenticeships with local colleges.
MACS place a high emphasis on training new talent to fill a skills gap and fulfil their corporate sustainability commitments. MACS want to give others advantages and opportunities to be able to create careers in industry. They are working closely with several colleges and their apprenticeship programmes.
Some examples of the training in which MACS are involved include:
- London Legacy and Waltham Forest Training Academy TWEL project
- Apprenticeship programme with Barnfield College. The apprentices recently took top honours at a Construction Skills Competition held in East London.
- A MACS apprentice from Barking & Dagenham College has just been short-listed to be named the 2016/17 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Apprentice-of-the-Year.
- Another MACS apprentice from Barking & Dagenham (a woman) won the 2016 FIS Apprentice-of-the-Year competition.
- This year saw the launch of the MACS Multi-Media Education & Training library. Video from this library will be used to attract new talent into the industry.
MACS was awarded the “Sword of Excellence” from the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers for their training. They were also singled out last year for special recognition at the Construction News Investing in Talent awards for the In-Prison training scheme they created 18 months ago at HMP Highpoint, Suffolk. This residential training scheme has resulted in ex-offenders now working in construction (including at MACS projects).
Dean said: "The work Tom and his team are doing is really inspirational. It is exactly these types of Luton businesses and initiatives that I will champion if elected.
"I grew up in a working class family and so I know personally how much hard working, skilled labourers like Tom and his team contribute to society. The fact they are putting so much back into the community too is something we should all applaud."