More than 80 students from Rochdale secondary schools have taken part in a construction careers initiative delivered by the Elaine Bain Family Trust (EBFT) in partnership with contractor Russell WBHO, providing direct exposure to live project environments and industry roles.

The four-week programme formed EBFT’s first dedicated construction-focused outreach project.  It involved eight structured site visits for pupils aged 13 to 15 from 10 high schools across the borough.

Sessions were hosted at Russell WBHO’s live development site in Oldham, where the contractor is delivering 193,000 sq ft of industrial space at Hollinwood Junction.

Each visit included a health and safety briefing, followed by guided site tours led by senior project staff. Students were introduced to roles across construction delivery, including site management, engineering and support functions, before attending presentations in the site office outlining entry routes into the sector.

The programme also featured insights from a trainee currently employed by Russell WBHO, who outlined progression pathways including the company’s Building Student Programme, which combines on-the-job training with a fully funded part-time degree.

Construction outreach aims to strengthen local skills pipeline

EBFT supports vulnerable young people across the Rochdale borough through mentoring, development activities and targeted learning support. The initiative is intended to help participants build confidence and explore future employment routes.

Steven Downham-Clarke, full-time trustee at EBFT, said: “A huge thank you to everyone at Russell WBHO for supporting this initiative and our activities.

“Our young participants from local schools have had a valuable and inspiring opportunity to meet new people, explore different career paths, gain new skills, experience a construction environment, and develop real-world insights.

“By focusing on skills development and where future opportunities may lie, this work highlights the importance of building a strong pipeline to help bridge the skills gap across many industries.

“Increasing awareness of these opportunities also gives young people greater visibility of local projects – like the Northern Gateway and Atom Valley – where they could go on to shape their future careers.

“This is a fantastic partnership and one we hope to maintain, so we can continue offering these experiences to more young people we support.”

Contractor highlights industry engagement and recruitment challenge

Russell WBHO said the programme forms part of wider engagement activity aimed at improving awareness of construction careers among young people and supporting long-term workforce development.

Jonathon Rhodes, Project Director at Russell WBHO, said: “It’s been really rewarding to work with EBFT to develop its first construction careers programme for young people.

“Touring a large construction site and hearing from those involved is a great way to engage students in what our industry has to offer and spark their interest in a future role. The feedback has been really positive, so we’re looking forward to continuing to partner with EBFT to explore how we can deliver the programme to more students across the region.”

The initiative reflects continued efforts within the construction sector to address skills shortages by increasing early engagement with school-age learners and improving visibility of career pathways across site-based and technical roles.