Wates backs social enterprises in region
JOBS HAVE been created after a major construction firm supported a number of business partnerships.
Wates Construction’s Yorkshire team, based in Leeds, has spent £321,111 backing social enterprises across Yorkshire.
The initiative has helped to create 47 jobs in Yorkshire, as well as offering work experience and apprenticeships.
Wates also aims to create a legacy for these projects by investing in local charities, helping schools with education initiatives, introducing people to the construction industry and helping them to secure work.
Significant projects supported across Yorkshire include Lowfield Green Housing development, New Lodge at New Earswick and the new Foss Park hospital in York. All projects include work with social enterprises, including a partnership with a business in Easingwold named Easi Works, which provides vocational training and placements for young adults in horticulture and hospitality.
David Wingfield, Business Unit Director at Wates Construction, said: “Construction projects represent a huge amount of investment and opportunity, and it is vital that they deliver a positive, lasting legacy for the local communities they serve – one which goes beyond just a new building.
“We are committed to delivering value to local communities on every one of our builds in Yorkshire. At the beginning of every project and throughout, we identify where we can have the biggest positive impact, what partners to work with, and how we can best keep spend in the region to help support the local economy and provide new jobs.”