Improving air quality around schools
Balfour Beatty Flannery, a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Flannery Plant Hire, proudly trained its 1,000th student at the Operator Skills Hub. This purpose-built training facility plays a crucial role in addressing the industry's significant skills shortage and provides trainees with a direct pathway to employment.
Abigail Cleverley, the 1,000th student, achieved the nationally recognised accreditation to operate articulated dumper trucks and rollers. She has since secured a role on Balfour Beatty VINCI’s HS2 contract.
Talking about her experience, Abigail Cleverley, Operator Skills Hub Graduate, said: “Completing my training at the Operator Skills Hub has been an incredible experience. The hands-on approach and state-of-the-art equipment gave me the confidence and skills I need to succeed in this industry now and in the future.
£400,000
Social value delivered
“Thanks to the training, I’ve not only gained a nationally recognised qualification but also secured a role on one of the most exciting infrastructure projects in the UK. I can’t wait to be part of such a transformative scheme.”
Established in 2021 and supported by the UK Government’s Skills Bootcamp initiative, the Hub offers innovative training and apprenticeship schemes in plant operations. It aims to attract new talent to the sector while upskilling existing operators to prepare them for the modern-day, digitally enabled construction site.
2024 highlights
- 649 people completed the training
- 32 served in the Armed Forces
- 45 were female
- 79 had a disability, learning difficulty or health problem
- 34 declared they had a criminal conviction
- 195 were not in education, employment or training (NEET)
