Building the Future: Inspire to Build Program Opens Doors for Sixth Formers

This initiative responds directly to concerns raised by our construction cluster group, a committed assembly of regional construction employers who have voiced the increasing difficulty in recruiting for positions like quantity surveying, civil engineering, architecture, and project management.  

Through Inspire to Build, we’re setting out to engage sixth-form students with an immersive introduction to these essential roles, bridging the gap between classroom learning and career awareness in one of the region’s most vibrant sectors. 

As a Regional Skills Partnership, we’re focused on connecting local needs with real opportunities. Inspire to Build is our tailored response to industry insights, crafted to match the skills gap with a future-ready workforce. Delivered as a six-week pilot program across Anglesey’s five secondary schools, the initiative aims to demystify high-level construction roles for A-level students. By exposing them to the industry early on, we hope to equip them with practical knowledge and insight, showing them a clear pathway to fulfilling careers that might otherwise have seemed out of reach. 

The impact of Inspire to Build is already being felt. Early feedback suggests we’re on the right track, with many students expressing newfound enthusiasm for construction careers, including further education options like degree apprenticeships in the field. This is what we envisioned, a way to nurture students’ curiosity about construction and inspire a commitment to the industry that will support the region’s growth. 

However, our sights are set beyond this initial pilot. If Inspire to Build continues to prove successful, we’re committed to expanding it across the region. 

This is no small ambition, but it’s one that we believe is entirely achievable with the support of our partners, including CITB, the local educational sector, and industry professionals. Sharing our findings and best practices across the Regional Skills Partnership network will be key to that expansion, and our partners are keen to see this program replicated to support skills development far beyond North Wales. 

Since 2014, the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership has worked to unite employers, education providers, and stakeholders to address skills mismatches that limit our economy.  

We’re currently midway through our Skills and Employability Plan, which prioritises empowering employers, enabling individuals, and building meaningful connections within the community. Inspire to Build aligns perfectly with these goals, providing practical, forward-thinking education that prepares young people to step into roles our local economy needs. 

As the regional skills landscape evolves, programs like Inspire to Build will be essential in helping us keep pace with industry demands, ensuring that our young people have the skills and confidence to fill the roles that will build our future.