M O’Brien is proud to support the Luton DART Construction Skills Hub, delivered in partnership by VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier and Luton Council. Funded by the Construction Skills Fund – provided by the Department for Education (DfE), and administered and implemented by CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) – this innovative initiative is one of twenty-six on-site Construction Skills Hubs across England. The aim of these Hubs is to increase the number of local people trained in construction, tackle the skills shortage and help build the homes and infrastructure needed in local areas across England

The Luton DART Construction Skills Hub is an exciting opportunity providing support for local people to benefit from industry-relevant practical training leading to recognised, construction-specific qualifications. The tailored support and qualifications available offer local people the opportunity to upskill and  prepare to take advantage of the increase in construction-related jobs and apprenticeships available through local construction and infrastructure transformation schemes such as the Luton Investment Framework. The Skills Hub Academy will give over 700 local people the chance to train in the most needed skills, with a focus on attracting candidates from groups currently underrepresented in construction.

Investing in skills and the training of our people is something that we take great pride in at M O’Brien Plant Hire, so when the call came to support the initiative, we delivered 3 new machines straight to the project with no charge so that local people from Luton can receive training on these machines and get a great introduction to the construction industry. The Hitachi ZX55U excavator and Neuson DV60 Dual view Dumper demonstrated the kind of machinery they could potentially be operating in the future and many were surprised by the level of comfort offered within the cabs of modern Plant and machinery.

“We are really proud that our clients are so proactive and taking this approach to the training of people new to the construction industry. , There is a shortage at the moment of experienced operatives across the UK, but between our clients, ourselves and other leading businesses working in the construction sector, it’s a shortage that is being addressed with a higher priority than ever. Working closely with VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier we will continue to support their great training initiative by providing machinery for learners to train on.” Connor O’Brien

Phil Hobson, VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier’s Project Director of the Luton DART project, adds, “VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier worked closely with Luton Council to bring the Construction Skills Hub to fruition. We are delighted to be delivering real results in upskilling local people so that they are ready to join our industry and actively participate in the transformation of their local areas. We rely on the support of our local Construction Skills Network partners to make this happen – M O’Brien is a valued partner in the project and we are delighted that they are providing essential training resources to upskill and support local people.”