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Local jobs created by Bermondsey Spa regeneration

London SE1 website team

More than 20 Southwark residents have taken part in construction training and eight people have gone into work through schemes set up as part of the Bermondsey Spa regeneration.

Artesian Building
Front: Gail Weston (Hyde Plus), Cllr Richard Thomas, Clive Astall (Hyde Group), Joe O'Brien. Back: Dennis Elliott, Steve Drury (Rooff)

A local skills audit to identify and implement employment and training opportunities at Bermondsey Spa was carried out as part of Southwark Council's planning agreement with Hyde Housing Association.

Joe O'Brien, 19, started work on a management trainee programme following a careers fair organised by Hyde last year. There he met and impressed Steve Drury, director of building and development for Rooff, the main contractors for the Artesian Building at Bermondsey Spa.

Joe, of nearby Jamaica Road, has worked for Rooff for just over six months and will begin work towards his National Certificate in Building in September. There will then be further opportunities to progress onto a HNC and a degree if he wishes.

"I was interested in construction but did not really know a lot about the surveying side of it," says Joe.

"The management trainee programme with Rooff has given me lots of scope and allowed me to learn more about all the different aspects of construction."

Dennis Elliott is another local employee, working for FDL, a contractor employed by Rok at Bermondsey Spa. He was born in Lambeth and lives in Elephant & Castle.

"It's nice to work locally," he says. "It's only a bus ride and short walk to work from where I live which is nice and it's a really good bunch of people working on the site."

Cllr Richard Thomas, Southwark's executive member, is keen to trumpet the achievement: "Bermondsey Spa shows that regeneration is more than bricks and mortar.

"Local people are benefiting from gaining skills that get them into work locally and sees them playing a vital role in transforming their community. There have also been substantial physical improvements in Bermondsey Spa including new buildings and neighbourhood facilities, with many more to come in the next few years."

Current opportunities

Rooff are currently seeking trainee site managers to join their management training programme. They are particularly interested in school leavers with 5 GCSEs at C or above, including maths & English. If you are interested in finding out more please contact Steve Drury on 020 8534 9797.

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