Wienerberger UK & Ireland has delivered the first pilot of its Trades of Tomorrow programme, a three-day initiative designed to help care-experienced young people explore careers in construction while responding to the industry’s long-term skills challenge.
Developed as part of the company’s Social Impact Strategy, the programme was delivered in partnership with charity The National House Project and the Greater Manchester Youth Network, bringing together young people from across the North West with lived experience of the care system.
With demand for skilled trades continuing to outstrip supply, Trades of Tomorrow was created to provide practical, real-world insight into the construction sector, build confidence, and demystify the different routes into employment, training and further education. The programme sits alongside Wienerberger’s wider, long-standing support for construction skills development, including its backing of and provision of materials for national skills competitions such as Super Trowel, SkillBuild, and the Guild of Bricklayers.
Sarah Nurton, Social Impact Manager at Wienerberger UK & Ireland, commented: “Construction is facing a long-term skills challenge, and as an industry we have a responsibility to think differently about where future talent comes from. Trades of Tomorrow is about opening up access to the sector and providing practical, real-world insight for young people who may not otherwise see construction as an option.
“By working alongside trusted partners and employers, we can help care-experienced young people build confidence, understand the breadth of opportunities available, and make informed decisions about their next steps.”
Across the programme, participants were introduced to a broad range of construction trades, including heritage skills through sessions delivered by Donald Install Associates. Activities included hands-on clay work and a practical roofing session, designed to give participants a tangible feel for working on site and with materials.
The group also visited Stockport College, where they toured the construction department, took part in a brick-building exercise and spoke directly with teaching staff about course options, entry requirements and what to expect from further education in the built environment.
The programme concluded with a site visit to an Anwyl Homes development in Chorlton, offering a live view of housebuilding in progress. Participants took part in a site tour and Q&A session with an apprentice, providing insight into day-to-day site life and the different pathways into construction careers.
Kat Luckock, Director of Partnerships at The National House Project, explained: “It has been fantastic to partner with Wienerberger to co-produce the Trades of Tomorrow programme with young people from two of our Local House Projects. For care leavers, access to industry insight and real career pathways can be transformative, and construction is a sector full of opportunity.
“Working in partnership with an employer like Wienerberger ensures the programme is grounded in real industry experience and opens doors that might otherwise feel out of reach. It also supports our existing partnership, where wienerberger provides a bursary to young people looking to start or develop their career in construction.
“We’re excited to continue growing the programme to support care-experienced young people to build sustainable, skilled careers in the construction sector.”
Mathew Harrison, Group HSE Director at Anwyl Homes, said: “It was our pleasure to welcome such an enthusiastic group of young people to our Dalton Fields development in Chorlton and give them an insight into the everyday workings of a construction site. We hope we have inspired them to consider housebuilding as a future career path.”
Andy George, Director of Skills and Attraction at Home Builders Federation, added: “It's great to see targeted interventions like Trades of Tomorrow being launched by the industry and shows how initiatives like this can really open up construction careers and strengthen the talent pipeline.
"This programme builds on the success of the HBF Partner a College programme, which works by connecting employers with colleges to provide hands-on experience, giving clearer pathways into the sector and enabling more work-ready students.”
Following the success of the pilot, Wienerberger plans to build on the programme, with ambitions to deliver further Trades of Tomorrow sessions and continue working with partners to support care-experienced young people into long-term careers across the construction industry.
