At 16 years old and nearing the end of his time in a Lewisham school, Calum felt lost. He knew he wanted a hands-on career, but he had no idea where to start. Determined to take control of his future, Calum signed up for our Building Opportunities programme which opened his eyes to a new world of prospects and career pathways.

Calum’s CYT coach supported him through intensive 1-2-1s in which he gained a deeper understanding of apprenticeships. This involved learning about the variety of roles available to him, and technical information detailing how he would be supported. Calum was so inspired that he was eager to start the process, so our CYT coach directed him to apprenticeship routes in the UK that were accessible within his age bracket. This demonstrated that staying in education wasn’t the only option available, and that Calum could enter the world of work directly from school.

His new understanding of his opportunities grew Calum’s self-belief and confidence exponentially. Through CYT, he was able to gain new skills such as lateral problem solving, teamwork, writing about himself professionally and talking to adults. With his new-found confidence and skills, Calum embarked on a work experience in carpentry at CS Lofts. He was captivated by this experience.

Our Building Opportunities programme has set Calum up to navigate a career through the delivery of employability skills. It has been excellent to see Calum persevere and seize his opportunities, so much that he now feels at ease in the working environment.

The team at CS Lofts were so impressed by Calum that they decided to offer him a guaranteed apprenticeship when he finishes school!

We wish him best of luck in his apprenticeship and look forward to supporting his further achievements!

Construction Youth Trust works in local communities across London and North Kent, targeting areas with a high proportion of low-income households and significant construction and regeneration.
Building Opportunities targets young people aged 14-16 at high risk of not making a successful post-16 transition. It centres on 1-2-1 coaching and ongoing employer engagement. The ultimate goal of this project is to support young people to transition into sustainable employment, education or training (EET) outcomes that are meaningful to their aspirations.