CRE8, a pre-employment programme that creates sustainable employment opportunities for local disadvantaged people, has been delivered at Mossley Hill Mental Health Facility’s construction site in Liverpool.
The aim of CRE8 is to combat local unemployment/underemployment, attracting emerging talent to work in the construction industry. A key element of CRE8 is the inclusion of local recruitment and employability service partners, who are responsible and accountable for their specialisms. This involves recruiting suitable delegates, providing pre-employment training, carefully matching delegates with host employers, delivering CSCS-accredited site-based work experience, offering sustainable local employment opportunities and providing follow-on career advice. This is what makes CRE8 the first wraparound initiative of its kind in construction.
Working collaboratively with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Nobody Left Behind and Building Careers UK, five delegates completed GRAHAM’s most recent CRE8 programme, gaining work experience on the new Mossley Hill Mental Health Facility’s construction site.
GRAHAM, SCS, Kinlan Brickwork and A+B Engineering hosted the delegates, providing each of them with a five-day work placement. During the week, the delegates gained an insight into the different roles each company plays, and their importance to the site and project.
The CRE8 work placements not only provide the delegates with a real-life understanding of the construction industry, but the unique nature of this project meant they developed specific knowledge regarding the requirements for building mental health facilities.
At the end of the week, one delegate received a full-time employment offer from their CRE8 host employer. The other delegates have enrolled with Building Careers UK, who will support them by sourcing suitable sustainable local employment opportunities.
Andy Whalley, CRE8 delegate, said:
“I really enjoyed it, and it has benefited me in experience and employment on site.”
Peter Reavey, Regional Director at GRAHAM, said:
“Having just delivered our ninth CRE8 programme, this evidences the positive impact social value initiatives can have on the local communities we work in. By developing strong collaborative partnerships, CRE8 is leading the way to support disadvantaged people help gain local sustainable employment opportunities.”
Mersey Care's Chief Finance Officer, Rob Collins, said:
"Mersey Care sees itself at the heart of our local communities and supporting people's wellbeing. We have a strong record of working with the community during the building stages of our new facilities. As we look to delivering this new mental healthcare facility for patients, I am pleased to endorse the engagement with these five local delegates as they play their part in understanding how a facility like this comes together."
Darren Friend, CEO at SCS, said:
“As we all know, the construction industry has a skills shortage that means over 250,000 extra skilled workers are required by 2028. We’re proud to be working with GRAHAM to introduce individuals to the industry as part of the CRE8 programme. We are very excited to have found Andy Whalley who is now part of the construction team on Mossley Hill Hospital, learning the skills needed to become a Dryliner/Ceiling Fixer.”
About the new Mossley Hill Mental Health Facility
GRAHAM is building a new state-of-the-art mental health facility via a building contract with developer, Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership Ltd (LSHP), on land owned by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Mossley Hill, Liverpool.
The new inpatient facility will phase out traditional shared dormitory mental health wards to provide 80 single bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. Throughout the hospital, there will be an emphasis on providing therapeutic spaces with light and airy environments as well as facilities for family visitation and multi-faith worship.
