A MIDSOMER Norton student is considering a career in the house-building industry after spending time at Curo, a housing association which operates in Bath and North East Somerset.

Year-11 student Grace Young, from the town’s Norton Hill School, in Charlton Road, spent time at the company’s Mulberry Park development in the city where her enthusiasm was described as “infectious.”

During her time at Mulberry Park, Grace got hands-on experience with Curo’s construction and sales teams, providing her with a valuable insight into the housebuilding industry. Mulberry Park, when complete, will bring 700 new homes to the market, with 30 per cent earmarked as affordable.

Grace said: “Working at Mulberry Park has been an eye-opener. It’s fantastic to see how a development like this can benefit the local community in so many ways. The experience has definitely helped me think about my future career options.”

Grace has returned to college to finish her studies and is considering an apprenticeship with Curo in the future.

Paul Fackrell, head of construction at Curo and Grace’s mentor, said: “We’re always open to supporting local people to develop their skills and explore potential careers in construction. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our efforts making a positive impact on the community.

“We were delighted to welcome Grace to the Mulberry Park team. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and it was clear she learnt a lot from the experience.”

“Since its inception, Mulberry Park has been about more than just homes. The development has created more than 100 work and educational placements, and provided training for 70 new jobs, as well as 15 apprenticeships.”

Thousands more homes will need to be built across Bath and the surrounding countryside as the new Labour government is set to more than double the area’s housing target. B&NES Council had already been looking at how it could find space for 725 new homes to be built in the district every year.

But now the area will have to accommodate twice as many homes again, with the new Labour government set to increase the target to 1,466 homes a year amid changes to the national planning policy framework (NPPF). The target will run for 15 years, meaning 21,990 new homes will have to be built across Bath and North East Somerset by 2040.

Curo is passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace within the construction industry. By offering underrepresented groups the opportunity to explore careers in construction, the company hopes to address the sector’s skills shortages and create opportunity in the areas it operates in.

Curo works with many employers looking for labourers and experienced tradespeople. They can help them apply for Health and Safety in Construction Environment Level 1 and achieve your Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Health and Safety card through Bath College’s Constructing Lives Together scheme.

People looking for jobs can also get help with updating CVs, interview advice and a guaranteed interview with an employer.