Esh Construction teams up with South Yorkshire’s RNN Group as employer academy partner

Esh Construction has outlined its commitment to inspiring young people to consider a career in construction by partnering with South Yorkshire education and training provider, RNN Group.

Cementing its place as an RNN Group employer academy partner, Esh will play a key role in developing a future workforce that has the practical skills and experiences required by getting involved in the design and delivery of the curriculum.

Employer academies were launched by RNN Group in 2019 and provide a structured format for employers to lead on a number of activities for learners such as masterclasses, workshops, site visits, volunteering opportunities and industry placements.

Since the start of the 2023-24 academic year, Esh has worked with a cohort of 60 students to deliver four workshops which covered opportunities within the civil engineering sector, behaviours and expectations in the workplace and introduced upcoming work experience placements. A selected group then went on to receive a mock interview, with eight students successfully securing a five-day placement on a live site in the region.

Megan Roberts, Esh’s social value manager for the Yorkshire region, said:

“A fundamental part of our social value delivery is engaging within the local communities surrounding our construction sites. We are working in partnership with Rotherham Council on projects near to Rotherham College and Dearne Valley College, therefore it was important to develop a partnership that enables us to provide meaningful engagement opportunities to young people in the area.

“Joining RNN Group as an employer academy provides a format and structure for our engagement, meaning our delivery is catered to the needs of the students and through multiple interventions we provide a well-rounded approach to developing the workforce of the future.”

RNN Group includes further and higher education campuses across South Yorkshire where Esh Construction is currently delivering over £8 million worth of schemes.

Jason Austin, CEO and Principal of the RNN Group, said:

“We are delighted to work in partnership with Esh as part of our Employer Academy scheme which brings together learners, educators and employers to establish long term collaboration that will inspire our students.

“Esh will be a valuable Employer Academy for our construction learners at Rotherham College, supporting with and developing our learners’ skills for employment.”

The partnership provided an opportunity for three students to support Esh at North Star Science School, an event which brings young people, educators, scientists and businesses together to explore the future of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) in the South Yorkshire region. Throughout the day, the students gained hands-on experience in the delivery of ‘science in construction’ workshops to more than 150 young people.

Sustainable construction materials and products that were used at North Star Science School have since been donated to RNN Group to enable them to introduce the topic of sustainable construction methods into the curriculum.

Looking ahead to 2024, Esh will start off the new year by working with another cohort of students who are currently studying construction trades at Rotherham College. Esh Construction’s civil engineering division is currently delivering projects that promote active travel in Rotherham known as Wellgate and Broom Road, Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor.