Dozens of unemployed people are being given valuable work experience placements in construction thanks to leading community regeneration specialist Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) West Midlands, working with the GreenSquare housing group.
The Coleshill firm, which forms part of the Keepmoat group, has been sourcing candidates through Jobcentre Plus to work on a new build housing scheme in Swindon.
As part of a £6 million contract, FHM has been commissioned to build 50 new build houses and a 20-bed new build women’s refuge on behalf of Wiltshire-based Westlea Housing Association who are part of the GreenSquare housing group.
The 52-week project starts in June and will bring about the construction of four-storey timber framed houses to Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable homes.
The women’s refuge is scheduled to be built using timber frames and the entire refuge and housing scheme will consist of eco measures ranging from click taps to enhanced insulation and photo-voltaic cells.
FHM’s Pre-Construction Manager Andrew Page said: “We are delighted to be working with GreenSquare on such an exciting and worthwhile project.
“The project marks a diversification for us in terms of it being the first women’s refuge we’ve worked on, and it’s particularly interesting as it’s positioned on the same site as a new build housing scheme. The women’s refuge will consist of 20 self contained apartments and security will be tight as we also plan to install CCTV cameras.
“We’re really pleased that GreenSquare’s ‘4ward2work’ initiative will be helping the unemployed get back to work through this project and have already got at least 12 people from the surrounding areas poised to take part in paid work placement schemes.
“If the candidates impress, they then have the opportunity to move on to apprenticeship opportunities.
“We have got a fantastic working relationship in place with GreenSquare and hope to work with them on other projects in future.”
