As a member of the Midland Metro Alliance (MMA), Auctus Management Group (AMG) and its subsidiary businesses RSS Infrastructure Ltd (RSSI), a leading supplier of infrastructure services, and INFRA Skills Ltd, the UK’s premier safety critical and non-safety critical training provider , are excited to announce that the MMA have won ‘Employer of the Year Award’ at Talent Match Black Country’s Annual Award and Celebration and ‘Partnership of the Year’ at the New Civil Engineer’s annual British Construction Industry Awards 2018.
Talent Match Black Country is a five-year investment programme that has been setup to aid long-term unemployed young adults (aged between 18 and 24) within the Black Country region. The programme is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the local partnership is led by BVSC with Solihull SUSTAiN.
The Midland Metro Alliance were awarded ‘Employer of the Year’ by Talent Match based on its continuous support of the project by attending and speaking to employer groups and lobbying MP’s in Parliament to encourage their involvement. The alliance has also been providing ongoing career guidance for young people through ‘Careers on Track’ and mock interviews, promoting Talent Match at networking events and introducing the organisation to employers to give young people involved in the programme work experience, apprenticeships and tours. The alliance team have supported a number of Talent Match candidates including Jake who was invited into the organisation’s office to carry out work experience which he thoroughly enjoyed. The MMA recently employed another Talent Match young person, Enam who has been enrolled on a L3 Business Admin Apprenticeship working in the Business Support team of the Midland Metro Alliance.
Rose Rees, Training and Development Manager for INFRA Skills working on behalf of Midland Metro Alliance, who collected the award on behalf of the Midland Metro Alliance, said: “To win this award was absolutely amazing and was totally unexpected. The best thing about being part of Talent Match Black Country is making a difference to young people’s lives and providing them with both the skills and knowledge to overcome barriers to employment. I believe that we all have a responsibility to the community that we live and work in to make a difference. It is through initiatives such as this that we can create a sustainable future that benefits both the local and wider economy helping to boost productivity and ensure that the UK continues to deliver highly skilled people ready for work on the world’s stage.”
Infra Skills are also working alongside Talent Match, having created a bespoke three-week course, specifically tailored for young people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more. This course provides learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to gain their Personal Track Safety and Track Induction competency, as well as other valuable competencies within the rail sector.
The alliance also attained the ‘Partnership Initiative of the Year’ award at the New Civil Engineer’s annual British Construction Industry Awards for the way in which it has developed a collaborative working strategy, which has helped to ensure successful delivery of the new light-rail infrastructure.
Alejandro Moreno, Director of the Midland Metro Alliance, said: “We’re delighted that the team at the Midland Metro Alliance walked away with not just one, but two awards recently. We’re dedicated to leaving a lasting legacy that the West Midlands can be truly proud of.”
Phil Hewitt, Director of West Midlands Metro, said: “It is great that the Midland Metro Alliance was highlighted as an excellent example of partnership working. It was also fantastic that the team was recognised locally too for helping local unemployed people find work within the sector.”
Commenting on the MMA’s awards, Richard Toy, CEO of Auctus Management Group Ltd said: “The acknowledgement that the MMA has received at the ‘New Civil Engineer’s annual British Construction Industry Awards’ demonstrates how through collaborative working we can encourage innovation that delivers superior outcomes for clients, suppliers and stakeholders. Furthermore, the recognition that the MMA has received by Talent Match demonstrates how these partnerships are providing sustainable solutions that lowers unemployment rates and reduces the industry skills gap. This particularly benefits those young people struggling to begin their career and gives them an opportunity to build their career and become the next generation of industry leaders.”
