A E Yates Limited Civil Engineering carried out a project at the White Rose Retail Centre in Leeds which included a Social Value Plan. We achieved or beat the plan targets in a number of ways;
We employed Craig Butcher initially as the chainman on the project. He lives local to the site and had been unemployed for six years. Through application, ambition and commitment Craig progressed to the role of general labourer and received Health & Safety and on the job training. We were so impressed with Craig that we offered him a full time position which he accepted. To enable him to travel to sites he received part funding from Leeds City Council’s Renew/CHY agency and us to pass his driving test.
Aaron Mansfield and Gareth Darwin were both studying at Leeds College of Building for a Level 5 HND and Level 3 Extended Diploma respectively in ‘Construction in the Built Environment’. We provided them with work experience placements over five weeks on the project. During their time with us they gained site experience of the roles of site engineer and site manager. Towards the end of their work experience period Gareth took a position with Jacobs Consulting and stated;
“the work experience gained with AEY had greatly helped in securing the position with Jacobs”.
Aaron had his work experience period extended to the duration of the project.
We employed a further five local people on the project and our supply chain partners employed a further three. A group of students from Leeds College of Building visited the site where they received a presentation on the sequence of the project, were given a full Health & Safety site induction and were escorted on a tour of the site. Local Leeds City Council Councillor Groves visited the site together with Renew/ CHY and was introduced to the local people given employment and work experience opportunities on the project.
Our social value efforts on this project were recognised when Site Manager Dale Dixon received a ‘White Rose Community Award’ for his work on the project. The annual awards are “presented to those who do outstanding work to benefit the local community”.