Kier Highways, Surrey County Council and Brooklands Motor Museum developed a social enterprise initiative in 2016 that delivered significant impact for individual young people over the following five years, as well as addressing the issue within the industry of low uptake among young adults.
S-Skills for Highways trained vulnerable young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) and those with additional needs and disabilities furthest from employment to carry out basic highway works in the community. Brooklands Motor Museum provided induction and training facilities, and enabled repair work to be carried out at its carpark and footways.
Between 2016 and 2020 S-Skills for Highways impacted a total of seven cohorts and 89 candidates, achieved the right balance of sustainability, throughput and benefit for the local authority, and delivered concrete results, including:
- Over 9,600 hours of paid work
- 12 full time apprenticeships with Kier
- 10 full time jobs with other employers
- 10 young people returned to education