St Modwen Homes, the housebuilder behind the new homes scheme at Glan Llyn in Newport, has received national recognition for its commitment to tackling the current shortage of skills in the housebuilding industry.

The housebuilder is one of just six companies in the UK to be shortlisted in the Best Training and Recruitment category of this year’s Housebuilder Awards; a national awards programme aimed at celebrating best practice within the industry.

Over the past year, St Modwen Homes has launched a bespoke trainee scheme, aimed at encouraging more people to enter the housebuilding industry; particularly those starting out in their careers. It covers numerous specialisms including finance, site management, marketing, sales and construction. Proving hugely successful to date, trainees now account for 12 per cent of St Modwen Homes’ workforce.

Dave Smith, managing director at St Modwen Homes, said: “Housebuilding, and indeed construction in general, is predominantly an ageing industry with very low levels of diversity. There is a skills gap on a technical, professional and trade level and this is only going to get worse as retirement looms for a high proportion of the industry’s workforce.

“By launching initiatives such as our trainee scheme we’re hoping to attract more people into the industry and provide a supportive environment in which they can develop a successful career. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our initiatives recognised as best practice in the industry at this year’s Housebuilder Awards.”

There are currently two trainees working at St Modwen Homes’ Glan Llyn development in Newport.

Callum Roberts is training to become a site manager while Amber Jones is on track to become a qualified quantity surveyor.

In addition to its trainee scheme, the company is also partnering with local colleges to help promote the construction industry; providing work experience and leading lectures and seminars on key topics. Nearly 100 people have completed work experience at the firm’s sites in the past year. Additionally, St. Modwen Homes has launched an initiative to increase the number of apprentices working for contractors on its housing developments. This has led to a 10% increase in apprentices.

The Housebuilder Awards are held in partnership with the NHBC (National House Building Council) and HBF (Home Builders Federation). The winners of the awards will be announced in November.

Glan Llyn currently offers a range of three and four bedroom homes, with prices starting from £216,995 for a three bedroom semi-detached property. The Marketing Suite and Show Home at Glan Llyn is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5.30pm inclusive of the weekends. Appointments can be made by calling 0844 243 4606.