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Connaught Academy have now also achieved UK wide recognition as winners of the 2008 National Construction Excellence Achievers award getting though to the finalists after winning the Welsh title. Held at Lords Cricket ground in London the award was presented to Huw Evans and the team by Brian Blessed.
Connaught Academy named top achiever in Wales
The Connaught Academy in Caerphilly has won the Constructing Excellence Wales Achievers’ Award for its innovative work in meeting the training needs of the growing construction industry.
The Academy’s Huw Evans, who is responsible for regional workforce development, accepted the award at a ceremony in the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport. The awards exist to celebrate and showcase the best in the Welsh construction industry.
Connaught is the UK’s leading provider of asset management services to local authorities and registered social landlords.
The Academy, which is owned by Connaught, specialises in training people in a range of skills – and this year it is becoming the skills centre for the emerging green energy industry in Wales.
Last year the Connaught Academy trained more than 900 people in various trades such as plumbers and electricians, and this year it will train over 300 solar energy engineers from its base on Gallagher Retail Park.
Huw Evans of the Connaught Academy said: “It’s great that the Academy has been recognised by an organisation like Constructing Excellence, which exists to provide improved industry performance resulting in a demonstrably better built environment.
“We constantly strive to meet industry needs and are led by employer and industry requirements, rather than qualifications. We aim to serve not only our own company’s needs but also those of organisations and individuals who require first class training or assessment.”
Milica Kitson, Chief Executive of Constructing Excellence in Wales, said: “It is clear to me that the construction industry is in great shape, despite the gloom and doom about the economy, and more importantly these awards are a clear demonstration that the industry is embracing rethinking construction principles.
"The success of the Connaught Academy is based on a real desire to put something back into the community and the result is a high quality service and a general approach that is driven by Huw Evans.”
Shannon Robinson, Chief Executive of Community Enterprise Wales, added: “Welsh Housing Quality Standard has opened up opportunities for organisations like CEW to work in partnership with Connaught to deliver community benefit.
"To be able to access this type of quality training provision and develop other partnership activities with a company that are recognised for their achievements in this field will bring huge benefits to the work we undertake and the organisations and communities we support.”