A training scheme has received recognition for developing the future workforce within the trades industry. 

The project is a result of a partnership between a housing provider and a local college.

Flagship Group joined forces with West Suffolk College in 2021 to provide students with work experience, health and safety qualifications, and assistance with CVs and interviews.

The initiative also saw financial support channelled towards building supplies and safety equipment for construction activities, with a hefty £4,428 delivery being made towards the end of 2023.

East Anglian Daily Times: West Suffolk College students Bailey Woolnough, 18, left, and Aaron Peacock, 17, making use of donated materials West Suffolk College students Bailey Woolnough, 18, left, and Aaron Peacock, 17, making use of donated materials (Image: Flagship Group)

Nadine Tapp, head of the Flagship Group Academy, said: “We formed a partnership with West Suffolk College to establish a true employer-educational model designed to increase talent coming into the sector, mitigating the risk of future skills shortages.

“We’ve been delighted with the success of the collaboration, which provides an entry route to apprenticeship opportunities at Flagship Services and Gasway”.

Thanks to the collaboration, Flagship secured the Outstanding Apprenticeship Employer Award at this year's Eastern Education Group Apprentice of The Year Awards.

Students from the college expressed their gratitude for the support they received.

East Anglian Daily Times: Elina Kolosova, 19, is a level 2 multi-trades student at West Suffolk College Elina Kolosova, 19, is a level 2 multi-trades student at West Suffolk College (Image: John Nice/WSC)

Elina Kolosova, a level two multi-trade student, said: "The support we get from Flagship is amazing.

"With the materials we get, we can do so much more.

"It’s massive and helps prepare us for the workplace."

The impact of the partnership has been profound, with Flagship employing more than 20 students from the college.

East Anglian Daily Times: West Suffolk College building and construction students Rhys Snelling, left, and Matt Rowe working with materials that have been provided by Flagship West Suffolk College building and construction students Rhys Snelling, left, and Matt Rowe working with materials that have been provided by Flagship (Image: John Nice/WSC)

Dale Potter, course director at West Suffolk, said: "The partnership has been brilliant and helps give our students a more rounded education by getting to work with these amazing materials.

"Support like this has a massive impact on student retention and it gives them a ready-made route into an apprenticeship."

Ms Tapp shared that Flagship’s apprenticeship programme, appreciated nationwide, has supported nearly 300 apprentices since its inception in 2013, boasting a completion rate of 78pc, significantly higher than the national average.