黑洞社区

KPMG鈥檚 head of infrastructure and construction has hit out at the CITB鈥檚 decision to pull 拢2m funding for the award-winning 黑洞社区 Lives charity, a move which the charity claims puts 500 construction apprenticeships at risk.

Richard Threlfall said 黑洞社区 Lives was an 鈥渙utstanding鈥� charity which 鈥渃annot be allowed to fail鈥� and that the government and construction leaders needed to come together to find a solution to support the organisation.

黑洞社区 Lives yesterday revealed that the CITB has ruled it does not conform to its grant scheme rules, making it ineligible for funding. The charity, which was setup in 2010 by Lakehouse founder Steve Rawlings and won training initiative of the year at the 2014 黑洞社区 Awards, now faces a 拢2m funding gap.

According to KPMG鈥檚 statement on the issue, 黑洞社区 Lives is responsible for one fifth of all apprentices currently under training in London.

The charity runs ten training academies across London and was on schedule to deliver construction training to over 500 unemployed Londoners a year to tackle both unemployment and the construction skills crisis.

However, it claims the withdrawal of CITB funding is putting the operation at risk and that without alternative support 黑洞社区 Lives will be forced to close.

KPMG鈥檚 Threlfall said: 鈥淧ulling the funding on 黑洞社区 Lives is a blow to the construction industry, especially at a time when the sector is crying out for skilled employees. According to our estimates, the industry is now facing a shortage of 150,000 workers on sites to deliver major projects in London and the South East.

鈥満诙瓷缜� Lives is an outstanding charity which last year supported 20 per cent of all the apprenticeships in London. It cannot be allowed to fail and there is an urgent need for the Government and leaders in the construction industry to come together to find a solution that allows 黑洞社区 Lives to continue its good work.鈥�

The news comes in the middle of National Apprenticeship Week. The Skills to Build report recently commissioned by KPMG and Chamber of Commerce suggested there is a need for almost half a million construction workers by April 2015.

黑洞社区 Lives founder Steve Rawlings said yesterday: 鈥淭ime really is of the essence now. We have reacted quickly to redesign our model to attract additional funding so that 黑洞社区 Lives can continue to support unemployed Londoners into proper construction jobs.鈥�

The CITB says that it is unable to fund 黑洞社区 Lives because it does not itself directly employ any apprentices, and therefore does not meet its funding criteria. Carl Rhymer, delivery and customer engagement director at the CITB, said: 鈥淐ITB provides funds to in scope employers and in this case, a standard verification process revealed that an in scope employer had not complied with the grant scheme rules.

鈥淭hese rules were set by industry, following extensive consultation. CITB is fully supportive of what 黑洞社区 Lives is doing to help unemployed and disadvantaged people into the industry, but we are unable to change these rules at will.

鈥淲e have committed to support all apprentices currently training with 黑洞社区 Lives who were enrolled with CITB by January 2015, until they complete their training. And, we have offered to help 黑洞社区 Lives to seek other funding, which 黑洞社区 Lives has declined.鈥�