THE Future Skills Centre being built in Bordon has provided one young student with valuable experience and training toward his new career, even before it has opened, thanks to Hampshire County Council.

Lloyd Palmer, 21, from Whitehill, has been undertaking paid work experience with Interserve - the international support services and construction group building the centre for the county council.

More than 20 other young people are also taking part in study visits to the site, and two new apprentices are soon to start work there.

Peter Edgar, the council’s executive member for education, said: “Finding opportunities for young people to get on to the career ladder is something we are passionate about, which is why we are so proud to be investing in this Future Skills Centre.

“But we don’t just set up study programmes, courses and facilities, we like to create opportunities for young people in everything we do.

“An employment and skills plan enables a project we work on to become a learning experience in itself, and provide opportunities for work experience, study visits and traineeships. All this is being achieved while the new facilities are still being developed.

"Our partners are all very supportive of this initiative and Lloyd is doing extremely well on the construction site.”

The plan has already helped Lloyd to take a new direction in his career.

“I had worked in retail and done some grass cutting but the work was repetitive and I got fed up doing the same thing every day,” he said. “I wanted to find something I could have a future career in. Now I go to work and every day is different.”

An employment and skills plan forms part of the county council’s agreement with a construction partner when a building project is being planned. The plan sets out a number of opportunities for young people that must be created in the project.

At centre, Interserve, which has offices in Berkshire and the Midlands, is following an employment and skills plan that includes work experience and apprenticeships and job opportunities.