A programme giving school pupils aged 14-16 the confidence and skills to succeed in the construction industry has received a funding boost of £17,500 from Liberty Group.

The School Links Programme run by City West Housing Trust provides access to training, qualifications, mentoring and career support for young people who find it difficult to engage in mainstream education.

Liberty Group, which provides high-quality property services, has granted the funding as part of its commitment to investing in communities and improving people’s lives.

The project will kick start in the early autumn and will provide a programme of training to ten young people over the course of a year from local Salford schools.

Around 200 young people have participated in the programme since it launched in 2013, with 95% of those young people achieving a qualification.

Schools reported a reduction in young people’s truancy and an improvement in their behaviour thanks to the scheme.

Steve Parrington, Managing Director of Construction at Liberty, said:

“We are really proud to be able to support the School Links Programme to enable more young people to fulfil their potential and build a brighter future for themselves.”

Bradley Paul joined the School Links programme in April 2015 whilst studying at Moorside High School and went on to complete a Level 1 Certificate in Multi-Construction Activities and secured an apprenticeship. Bradley said,

“School Links helped me to find out what I wanted to do and provided me with a choice of career. My family are very proud of me, I can’t believe I now have a job I love.”

The funding from Liberty has been made possible thanks to a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership with builder’s merchants Travis Perkins. The firm’s spending with Travis Perkins builds up a rebate which Liberty then designates to fund specific projects to benefit local communities.

Liberty is an award-winning property services firm, specialising in repairs and maintenance, gas services and construction projects. It supplies over a quarter of a million homes with property services.