Award-winning Shropshire contractor Pave Aways has become the first Employer Client to join the National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC), making it the first contractor in Shropshire to adopt the nationally recognised framework.

Developed by CITB, the NSAfC helps clients and contractors place skills, employment and community engagement at the heart of construction projects, ensuring lasting social value alongside the buildings themselves.

The partnership builds on Pave Aways' long-standing commitment to creating opportunities for local people - work recognised by having been awarded the King's Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity earlier this year.

Managing Director Steven Owen said: "Becoming the first contractor in Shropshire to join the National Skills Academy builds on the opportunities we have been creating through our projects for decades. Working alongside CITB reinforces our commitment to delivering the highest standards expected by our local authority partners while strengthening the work we have been recognised for through our King's Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity."

The framework is already being put into practice on Pave Aways' project to deliver a new SEND hub at The Grove School in Market Drayton. Pupils are taking part in work experience placements on site, with a brickwork demonstration planned before the summer break, followed by site tours and further work experience opportunities in the autumn.

Construction Director Jamie Evans said the framework would help maximise the social value created through every project, "Whether that's through site tours for local students, work experience, apprenticeships or other community initiatives, it gives our clients clear evidence of the lasting impact their investment is creating."

Supporting youth sport is a key part of Pave Aways' community investment, recognising the important role it plays in developing teamwork, interpersonal skills and confidence that benefit young people throughout their working lives. Pave-Aways recently sponsored new rugby kits for pupils at The Telford Park School in Telford where they’re delivering a new classroom block, encouraging more young people get involved in the sport while reinforcing the values that underpin future employability.

Pave-Aways continues to invest in future talent, with six new apprentices joining later this year.

Finance Director Charlotte Davies said: "More than a third of our workforce started as apprentices, which shows the long-term value of investing in local talent. Partnering with the framework gives us a consistent way to maximise and evidence the value of our apprenticeship programme."

The framework will also strengthen collaboration with clients and supply chain partners to maximise the social value delivered through every project.

Commercial Director, Victoria Lawson added: "We've already seen the difference collaborative working can make through our partnership with the Shropshire Community Foundation, showing how targeted employability initiatives can create real opportunities for young people around the projects we're delivering. This framework provides a consistent way of bringing our clients and supply chain partners together around shared social value ambitions, making it easier to deliver locally focused outcomes on every project."

While creating opportunities has long been part of Pave Aways' approach, the National Skills Academy for Construction provides a structured framework to build on that success, helping the business maximise the lasting social value created for clients, communities and future generations.