THE latest in a wave of new education and training centres, set up to provide teenagers with a new way to develop vocational skills, has placed its first work experience student.

The Centre of Excellence for the Build Environment will train young people in the construction industries, and has been set up as a partnership between two secondary schools, Bradford College and a number of companies in the district.

It is one of several centres for 14 to 19-year-olds set up by Bradford Council with the hope it will boost its "Get Bradford Working" scheme by making students ready for work in several different industries.

Having opened this September, the centre has now provided one of its students with a placement on a major construction site - the future Bradford Forster Academy.

Naheem Amin is a second year student in bricklaying at Bradford College and student at the ICE and has been placed on the Fenby Avenue site to hone his trade.

Wates Construction is building the school, which is expected to open in September, and is also one of the partners in the centre of excellence.

Other partners are Bradford College, Tong High School, Carlton Bolling College and business Arnold Laver & Co, Moortown Group, social housing provider Incommunities, PEC and Rex Proctor and Partners.

The "centre" is actually based across the three education sites.

Naheem will now enhance his studies by working with seasoned builders on the £12 million development. Other students at the centre will soon be given similar placements with other partner groups.

The other four ICEs either open or in the pipeline are business and finance, which opened in Shipley College in September 2013, the centre for environmental technologies, based at Bradford University and opened earlier this year.

The centre of advanced manufacturing and engineering will be based at the Keighley Campus of Leeds City College is soon to open, and its board holds their first meeting this month.

Another planned centre for retail and distribution will involve a partnership between Morrisons and local schools.

The centres mix traditional education with work experience and projects that help students learn skills required by the partner businesses. At the Shipley College ICE, the first to open, students have learned to produce 3D computer images similar to those used by businesses to market properties, create computer games and digital building plans.

Stacey Johnson, one of the people behind the built environment ICE, said: "This is a way of working with young people aged 14/19 and introducing them to employers in the construction industry. We work with employers to help put young people on site visits and get them to come into classrooms and engage with young people."

Stephanie Tinsley, vice-principal for curriculum and learning at Bradford College, said: "Work experience is an important stepping stone that enables young people to gain the skills to enter an apprenticeship or take up a job in the construction industry.

"We are therefore delighted that Wates has extended work experience opportunities to students of the centre of excellence for the built environment.

"The centre is providing an environment where employers and educational providers work in partnership to exchange knowledge and innovation which will contribute to the economic competitiveness of Bradford district.”

Phil Harrison, managing director, Wates Construction North, said: "As a leading contractor across Yorkshire, Wates takes investment in skills training very seriously and our support of the centre forms a huge part of our efforts to address the potential skills gap our industry faces.

"Hands on experience, alongside formal training, is an extremely valuable means to building a career in this fantastic sector and it never fails to create a sense of pride when we see young people grow and develop under the watch of our site teams. Naheem’s placement is a prime example of how day-to day practice can develop a deeper understanding and ultimately boost employability."

Councillor Ralph Berry, the executive member for children’s services on Bradford Council, said: "We have taken a strong leadership role in bringing partners together to develop industrial centres of excellence.

"Students at the centre will be able to gain valuable work and business experience by following an innovative, contemporary and challenging curriculum that partners have jointly developed.”

Despite still being in its infancy, the Industrial Centre for Excellence scheme has been nominated for a national award, and the Council will find out later this month if it has been successful.

The ICEs have been shortlisted for a Partnership Working Award at the Children and Young People Now Awards, being held on November 20.