Places for London inspiring built environment’s next generation

Places for London - Transport for London’s wholly owned commercial property company -  has teamed up with Construction Youth Trust to inspire the next generation of recruits to the built environment sector. 

The educational engagement programme is a collaboration between Places for London and its partners, including Barratt London, The Earls Court Development Company, Grainger plc and Helical plc, and aims to inspire young people to forge futures in the industry, which includes both the construction and real estate sectors. 

Working with its partners, Places for London will be starting on 20,000 homes over the next 10 years, making it one of the largest developers in London. 

Places for London is keen to use the scale of its programme to encourage new people into the industry. 

This is vital because research has shown an additional 22,800 workers are expected to be required to meet construction demand in Greater London by 2027 – according to the Construction Industry Training Board. 

Places for London has selected Construction Youth Trust as its Educational Engagement Programme delivery partner.

It will help bring together schools, young people and employers - including role models from across the built environment industry - so students, as well as teachers and parents, can learn more about the industry and the impact it has. 

Over the course of the next three years, Places for London and Construction Youth Trust aims to reach 6,750 young Londoners through a range of inspirational workshops and intensive programmes to support young people progress into built environment careers.

Through the partnership, Places for London and its partners will be directly supporting 250 young people to progress into an education, training or employment outcome related to the built environment. 

This could be an 18-year-old starting a degree-level apprenticeship, or a 16-year-old going onto study a construction T Level.

Thomas Glover, construction skills manager at Places for London, said: “Alongside our development partners, we’re excited to work with Construction Youth Trust to engage more young people and their teachers, and show them that the built environment offers something for everyone. 

“We can show young people how they have a real chance to shape London and, more widely, the world around them.

"As an industry, we need to make sure we’ve got a pipeline of brilliant and diverse talent coming through to guarantee the places around us are the best they can be.”

Carol Lynch, CEO at Construction Youth Trust, said: “Our aim is to support a new generation of young Londoners to become the leaders and professionals of the future by connecting them with employers who recognise that it makes business sense to invest in the capital’s diverse young talent.”