Foundation laid for 50 young builders from Belfast Trust

Fifty young students of the Belfast Trust started receiving construction training in 2019. All of them have now completed it and are now on their way to becoming community housebuilders.

As part of a skills development initiative by the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA), a grant was awarded to Autumn Ridge Training to transfer skills in the construction industry to South African citizens.

Autumn Ridge turned to community leaders within the Belfast Trust area to garner 50 young hopefuls who wanted to enter the world of construction.

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“We focused on Belfast Trust, because it is a disadvantaged area,” said Autumn Ridge Training representative George Georghiades. “We knew that these skills would make the biggest difference in more marginalised areas. Now, they can go out into their own communities and use this qualification as a foundation to build their careers in construction.”

The course presented by Autumn Ridge Training spanned 12 months of theoretical, but mostly practical, skill development. “The students spent 70 per cent of the course practising under CETA-registered trainers, after which they undergo summative and formative assessment.”

The 50 students selected for the training programme all started the course in February 2019 and completed it in 2020. After almost a year of moderation and verification, national certificates in community housebuilding were handed over to the successful class in December.

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Autumn Rudge Training has applied for another grant from CETA. “If we happen to get the next one, we will again rely on the Belfast Trust area to produce 50 more candidates,” Georghiades added. “This is an incredible community, and the councillors and the Hoxani Traditional Leadership made our admin process very easy.”