TfL joins major employers to help care leavers build careers in construction
Young people who are care leavers will be offered new opportunities to train and work in the construction industry through a partnership bringing together Transport for London’s property company, major infrastructure organisations and charities.
The initiative, called Care in Construction, has been launched by Places for London, TfL’s property arm, alongside organisations including Heathrow, Lower Thames Crossing and Gallagher Group. The programme has also been developed with support from former Olympic medallist Fatima Whitbread and her charity, FATIMA’S UK CAMPAIGN.
The scheme aims to tackle two growing challenges at the same time: helping care-experienced young people access stable employment while addressing long-term skills shortages across the construction and infrastructure sectors.
According to Office for National Statistics data cited by the partners, around 40 per cent of care-experienced young people aged between 19 and 21 are not in education, employment or training. That compares with around 15 per cent of other young people in the same age group.
Care in Construction will provide training, work placements and direct pathways into employment, helping participants gain practical experience before moving into long-term careers.
More than 60 young people with experience of the care system are expected to benefit from the programme initially, with organisers hoping it will expand to support many more across London, the South East and eventually other parts of the UK.
Fatima Whitbread, who spent much of her childhood in the care system before becoming an Olympic javelin medallist, has worked closely with the project through her charity. The organisation will help connect employers with care leavers and families while supporting participants as they begin careers in the industry.
The programme also brings together expertise from the Drive Forward Foundation, which supports care-experienced young people, and civil engineering contractor Marlborough Highways.
By opening access to training and employment for care-experienced young people, the partners hope to strengthen the future workforce while widening opportunities for people who are often underrepresented in the industry.
Places for London will build on its existing training programmes, which have already helped more than 12,000 people develop skills for careers in the built environment through its network of skills hubs across the capital. The organisation also plans to offer work experience placements and site-based training linked to its development projects.
Heathrow has already begun supporting care leavers through a dedicated careers event introducing participants to employment opportunities across both the airport and its wider supply chain.
The employers involved say the partnership demonstrates how major infrastructure projects can deliver wider social benefits alongside economic development by creating practical routes into employment for young people who may otherwise face significant barriers entering the workforce.
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