LCRIG collaborating with Salford College and Salford City Council to deliver new highways apprenticeship course

A collaborative effort between Salford City College, Salford City Council, and the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) will see Salford City College offer new Highways Maintenance Apprenticeships. There are 10 places available on the apprenticeship course which has been tailored to meet the specific requirements of a Highways Operative working on the local road network.

Salford City College are an award-winning, leading training provider in Greater Manchester, operating across the Northwest. The college has been offering apprenticeship provision for over 10 years and is now aiming to have part of its facilities dedicated to the highways sector.

Working in partnership with LCRIG and Salford City Council, Salford College is looking to work with local authorities, the private sector, and other interested organisations to fill the 10 apprenticeship places available. The first cohort of students are expected to start their apprenticeship in September 2023.

The college is also working on creating a dedicated area within the college grounds that will allow the apprentices to fulfil the practical elements of their course. With limited resources to create this dedicated area, the college is looking for support from local organisations and contractors who may be able to donate time or materials as part of their commitment to social value.

Going forward, the hope is that this project can be replicated in other parts of the country – helping to secure a future talent pool in the highways sector and playing a part in addressing the skills gap.

Greg Derbyshire, Head of Construction & Engineering Apprentices and Adult Provision at Salford College, said: ”The Construction and Apprenticeship team here at Salford City College are excited to be in the development stages of our Highways Maintenance Apprenticeship offering at our City Skills Centre in Salford. We are working in partnership with a number of public and private sector organisations to develop an outstanding provision for the sector which has previously had difficulties in securing quality training for apprentices and new entrants into the highways maintenance industry. We would like to thank LCRIG for their superb support in the project which we are sure will develop a greater talent pool for industry in the near future.”

The initiative has also gained the support of Salford City Council and Bolton Council.

Paul Jackson, Head of Highways Construction Services at Salford City Council, commented: “It’s an exciting time for Salford City Council’s highways team. We’ve been working closely with LCRIG and Salford City College in recent months to plan and develop an apprenticeship pathway that can not only aid Salford Council’s requirements for skilled highways operatives for now and future years, but also hopefully create opportunities for other local authorities and the wider industry who are all feeling the pinch of the skills shortages in the sector. Our intake in September will be the first under this new partnership arrangement but we fully expect it to be a success and create a pipeline of successful apprenticeships for years to come. We’re looking forward to many years working under this partnership arrangement.”

LCRIG’s Finance and Operations Director Kerry Winstanley said: “Skills is one of LCRIG’s four key pillars and we are delighted to be able to support Salford City Council and Salford College in this important initiative. The skills shortage in the industry is a huge challenge for our members and we are hopeful that by sharing the learning from this project and replicating the initiative in other regions, we can support the highways sector in attracting and developing skilled operatives.”

To find out more about the apprenticeship programme and express your interest in getting involved please contact Kerry Winstanley at [email protected]

 

LCRIG Skills

LCRIG Skills allows users to access details of training courses that are relevant to the sector including training location, dates, and the number of places available on the course. It offers the facility to book places on the course through the LCRIG platform.

The training platform can support individuals professional development by:

• Bringing together a range of training from recognised providers in the highways sector
• Providing access to sector specific training that can be delivered in person, online or through on demand videos
• Supporting an individual’s training journey by recommending courses that are relevant to job roles and areas of interest or expertise
• Creating a CPD record when individuals take part in and log training through LCRIG Skills.

Visit LCRIG Skills here to access CPD webinars on demand.