A group of young residents were the latest to take part in a growing programme of construction and green skills training at the Sunspot in Jaywick Sands, aimed at helping people build skills for future employment.

Latimer – the development arm of Clarion Housing Group and master developer for the upcoming Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community – has partnered with the housing association’s charitable foundation, Clarion Futures, and Tendring District Council (TDC) to deliver a series of courses designed to help local people gain the skills needed for future employment.

Ten residents from Tendring and north Essex completed an eight day Green Initiatives Roofing Course last month, gaining hands on training in installing solar PV panels and constructing environmentally friendly roofing systems.

Participants were also introduced to drone inspection techniques and supported to obtain their CSCS card – a key requirement for entry level construction work.

Over the past year the partnership has delivered regular CSCS training to help local people secure entry level construction roles while providing green roofing training to help develop a pipeline of Net Zero ready skills.

It has already supported more than 30 residents into employment and brought investment into Jaywick with the Sunspot acting as a central training hub.

The programme focuses particularly on supporting young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) into sustainable career pathways, including apprenticeships linked to major upcoming developments.

Further training is planned at the Sunspot over the coming months including a second Green Initiatives course, a CSCS course, a Drone Flying course, an Emergency First Aid at Work qualification, and an SIA Site Security course.

Councillor Ivan Henderson, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “It is fantastic to see high quality, practical training taking place right here at the Sunspot.

“These courses are giving local people real skills, leading directly to job opportunities in growth areas such as construction and green technologies.

“We’re pleased to be working closely with partners such as Latimer and Clarion Futures to support residents into work by raising aspirations and creating real long term opportunities in Jaywick and across the district.”

Sean McGinn, Employment & Training Manager for Clarion Futures, added: “Our ambition is to ensure local people can benefit from the major developments coming forward in the area, particularly the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community.

“By investing in training now – especially green skills – we’re helping residents access worthwhile careers while ensuring we have a strong local workforce for the future.”

To find out more about the training and support on offer through Clarion Futures, go to www.myclarionhousing.com/jobs-and-training.