Construction industry expert hosts monthly workshops at college

SPREADING the word about education and training opportunities for employers is part of a new series of monthly workshops for construction industry firms.
Face-to-face workshops with the Construction Industry Training Board are being held at the Construction Skills Centre at Lakes College, supported by Skills Hub Cumbria.
CITB adviser Monica Costelloe is delivering the sessions and hopes to open local employers’ eyes to the possibilities of increased collaboration with the college, as well as helping solve problems or answer questions they might have in their business.
She said: “We try different things at the Construction Industry Training Board to engage employers and one of my colleagues had been doing these sessions, more in hotels.
“I thought why not base myself in the college, because I’m all for keeping training local.
“At any employer events that I’ve ever done, I find a lot of employers don’t know a thing about their college.”
Lakes College is committed to helping employers address skills gaps in the county and ensuring workers do not have to leave the area to get the training they need.
And Monica believes informing employers about what education and training opportunities are available in west Cumbria can be beneficial for all parties.
“My aim, besides solving CITB issues, is to bring more of an idea of what the college does, and can do, for employers,” Monica said.
“The first couple of people we’ve had were amazed at how big the college is and how much it has going on.”
For more information or to register for the next date, email monica.costelloe@citb.co.uk or call 07768208850.
Skills Hub Cumbria is a collaboration between Lakes College, Carlisle College, Kendal College, Furness College and University of Cumbria.