On-Site Bristol was set up in 1996 to help local people to get jobs in construction.

With so much re-development of the city going on, Bristol City Council and others wanted to make sure that as many local people as possible could get the jobs on offer.

Construction, especially large developments such as Harbourside, Temple Quay and Broadmead in Bristol, depends upon highly skilled workers being available at just the right time but doesn’t really need them for too long. So, it often makes sense for a construction firm to bring in these highly skilled workers from other parts of the UK or Europe just for that one job. Skilled construction workers, who work on the big developments, are quite used to moving rapidly around the country and from one job to another.

On-Site Bristol wanted to make sure that there were enough of the highly skilled workers in the local area, so that there would be no need to bring in workers from elsewhere. Then the money being spent on wages would stay in Bristol, making local people better off, and spent in Bristol, creating more local jobs in shops and so on.

An important part of making sure that there are highly skilled workers in Bristol is having apprenticeship programmes for school leavers, and On-Site Bristol sets out to run the best apprenticeship programme it can to give local people the skills they need.

On-Site Bristol also has training programmes and services for older people, both skilled workers looking for work and people with no skills or experience looking to make a start in construction.

On-Site Bristol is a Partnership, with a number of different organisations working together. To find out more about the organisations that make up the On-Site Bristol Partnership, click on their logo’s to go to their own websites.

Our Apprenticeship Programmes

On-Site Bristol has over 250 apprentices at any one time, recruiting about 100 each year.

Our apprenticeship programmes are run in partnership with

• Learning & Skills Council – who give us the money
• City of Bristol College – who give us the off-the-job training
• Employers – who give on-the-job training and employ our apprentices

By working closely with these partners, On-Site Bristol can provide apprenticeship programmes that offer young people

• Employment in the trade of their choice
• Off-the-training at college leading to industry recognised qualifications
• On-the-job training by their employer
• Regular progress reviews and action planning
• Personal support from a training adviser

Many of On-Site Bristol’s apprenticeship programmes start with a year’s full-time further education at City of Bristol College (please note that “full-time further education” actually only means attending college for two days a week, with the occasional “block week”).

This means that you can start your training without having an employer; On-Site Bristol will match you with an employer during your first year. Meanwhile you will be gaining skills and receiving the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), just like all other full-time students.