This week the Ministry of Justice admitted we have shamefully high reoffending rates in the UK with almost 50% reoffending within a year of being released from prison.

This doesn’t surprise me as we have been working with young offenders on their release from Secure Training Centres and Young Offenders Institutions for a while. We see the young people coming out of these institutions without the support they need to gain long term accommodation and employment.

Our Toolkit for Life programme runs training sessions for these young people who have an interest in working...

Considerate Constructors Scheme is helping to raise awareness of the work of the Trust through its registered sites and companies.

We at the Trust are delighted that over the next few months, Monitors from the Scheme will be handing out a leaflet on their visits which will give information on the Trust and how to become more involved.

Organisations can help the Trust in a number of ways:

Donating excess materials to support the Trust's mobile classroom project: they make use of surplus plasterboard, paint, tiles and timber. Providing work placements or jobs for...

Pinsent Masons recently held its fifth annual golf day in aid of Construction Youth Trust and the day was a great success.

Over 30 industry executives joined Pinsent Masons and the Trust at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey. The attendees were divided into teams to play a game in the morning, and returned back to the Club to enjoy a well-earned lunch.

Some young people who the Trust have recently worked with joined the golfers and took the chance to explain their involvement with the Trust and their aspirations to work within the construction industry. One of the young...

It was difficult not to get caught up in London 2012 fever and I was particularly pleased to see construction feature so highly.

After all, it is our industry which made it all possible. From the magnificent Olympic venues, the spectacular opening ceremony with its celebration of Brunel and Thomas Hetherick’s breath taking cauldron; it has been a dazzling display of everything Britain’s construction industry can achieve and be proud of.

London surpassed all our expectations as a host city and the regeneration of the park area in Stratford, on time and (albeit...

The Trust and the HCOCF are working together to provide support for ex soldiers who are transitioning into civilian life.

The Household Operational Casualties Fund works to provide financial or material support to ex and injured ex soldiers and their families, including families of those who have lost their lives on active service. They assist in rehabilitation for individuals and families, as well as reintegration back into the community through the provision of education, work placements and pastoral support.

Construction Youth Trust will be specifically involved in the...

Construction Youth Trust has received a donation of £1,000 towards its work in South Wales from engineering consultancy Arup.

As part of Arup’s on-going charitable work to both encourage and recognise the fundraising work their regional offices engage in, a competition to reward the offices that raise the most per head of staff is held every six months.

Money was raised through a wide variety of staff initiatives including sponsored bike rides, dress down days, quizzes, cake sales and other smaller events. The reward for this fundraising was a £1,000 cash...

Construction Youth Trust is celebrating the winning work of its volunteers.

The Trust was fortunate enough to have the time and skills of six graduates at RBS to help create fundraising materials. The London based graduates were introduced to the Trust through a project run by Pilotlight, an organisation which helps local charities and social enterprises to tackle social disadvantage in the UK.

The group chose Construction Youth Trust from a range of other charities and each individual was allocated 24 hours of volunteering leave to work on specific projects alongside the...

The Trust has been celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in style with a picnic at Buckingham Palace and official lunch in Westminster.

Neil Quinn, winner of The Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme architecture category, attended this weekend’s picnic at Buckingham Palace followed by the fantastic official Diamond Jubilee Concert. Two tickets were generously donated to the Trust by our Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester who was also in attendance in the Royal box. The event was attended by 10,000 members of the public and representatives from a number of...

Construction Youth Trust Director, Christine Townley responds to Employment Minister Chris Grayling's call to employers in Evening Standard Letters.

"As a charity our role is to raise often low levels of awareness among young people about what construction offers – that it isn’t just about being a brickie – but also about giving them a taste of the technical and professional roles and helping them find work placements and jobs.

Lots of companies go into schools, but this provision needs to be joined up so every young person gets a bite of the...

Representatives from across the Manchester construction industry have met with Construction Youth Trust to map out ways in which they can help young people into a career in construction.

At a breakfast event hosted by leading engineering consultants, Arup, guests found out about how the Trust has been helping young people in the area to gain work experience, work placements and apprenticeships with local employers.

Vicky Rosin, Deputy Chief Executive of Manchester City Council spoke about working with the Trust to provide work placements in conjunction with local...