Aldridge KSD Construction Academy: The launch of a new Construction Academy in partnership with KSD Group

The new construction academy offering vocational courses and apprenticeships for sixth form students across Greater Brighton launched in September 2016 as a partnership between KSD Group and Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA).

The Aldridge KSD Construction Academy is a pioneering collaboration between industry and education. Offering students level 1, level 2 and level 3 vocational construction courses in areas including: carpentry and joinery, bricklaying and property maintenance. There are also exciting plans in the pipeline to offer higher education courses in Project Management, Quantity Surveying and Construction Technicians. Students will gain industry experience through apprenticeships with KSD, along with other local construction companies as further partnerships develop. The Academy will respond to the needs of KSD and other industry partners to develop skills currently needed by the city. At the same time it will provide students with the practical experience needed to launch their careers.

Students joining the Academy in September 2017 will work with KSD’s skilled craftsman to build a new workshop space at BACA that will permanently house the Academy. They will be involved in all aspects of the project and gain first-hand training in building design, securing planning permission and construction lead by Director of Construction at BACA College, Tom Dowds.

About Thomas Dowds
Tom is passionate about offering an enriching and engaging programme of learning that will inspire young people to realise their potential. He also wants to promote the importance of self reliance and students using their initiative. He wants all students at the Aldridge KSD Construction Academy to successfully progress on to further or higher education or on to employment.

“The aim of the construction academy is to provide a training programme that gives the students the trade skills and knowledge needed to enable them to move on to jobs and/or higher education. An important part of that process is for students to experience real work situations. To this aim, we have been working with Linda Shaw from Brighton and Hove Council over the past year to bring together construction companies to form a consortium to work together and develop partnerships that will provide work experience opportunities and apprenticeships for the students at the academy.

The aim of the construction academy is to provide a training programme that gives the students the trade skills and knowledge needed to enable them to move on to jobs and/or higher education

“At the academy, we offer a Construction Diploma and apprenticeships in Site Carpentry and Multi Trades at levels 1, 2 and 3. From September 2017, the training programme will be in our new purpose build facility sponsored and provided by KSD at Falmer, as part of BACA College.”

Uniquely, our construction students are able to take advantage of our outstanding sports facilities and combine their construction training with either the Aldridge Cricket Academy or the Aldridge Football Academy, having access to coaches and trainers along with training and sporting fixtures.

Dylan Davies, Principal at BACA, says “Brighton Aldridge Community Academy is proud to be part of this unique pioneering collaboration which will change the educational landscape for the young people in our community. It will provide real opportunity, industry insight, training and qualifications, and ensures the young people of our city are given every opportunity to succeed professionally and achieve their full potential.”

Chris Gargan, Director at KSD, says: “We are a proud and successful local company that has always been fully committed to the education and training of our staff to the highest standards. Our unique partnership with BACA enables us not only to invest in our future workforce but it firmly aligns with our long standing commitment to East Brighton and our continued investment in the Greater Brighton Economic Region”.

Students interested in joining the Aldridge KSD Construction Academy can find out more and apply by contacting Tom Dowds at BACA by emailing tdowds@baca-uk.co.uk, or phoning 01273 691191.

Partnership work at BACA:

At BACA we believe the key to a rich learning experience, and vital to ensuring our students have the best possible opportunities to progress to employment, apprenticeships or higher education, is a strong network of employers and partners who inform, shape and actively contribute to our curriculum.

Throughout the college and within our specialist academies in football, cricket, dance creative digital media and construction, success has been driven by the strong collaboration with industry partners and employers, providing our learners with access to leading industry experts, resources and facilities.

About KSD Group

Founded in Brighton, KSD is one of the UK’s leading privately owned support services companies. With further offices in London and Glasgow, KSD offers a complete range of construction services including renovation and expansion, new construction and sustainability initiatives.

KSD Housing is a division of the KSD group that is delivering an innovative mixed-use regeneration scheme across the UK and has a pipeline of 11 new projects for 500 new homes and commercial units with a £50 million development value. KSD’s clients include the public sector, private sector, registered housing providers and Community Land Trusts.

For more information visit www.ksd-group.co.uk