Helping support students in the Cheddar Valley

We are delighted to be supporting Kings of Wessex Academy in Cheddar with a donation of £2,500 towards the cost of setting up an employability and learning hub to help students take their next step in education or employment.

The new hub will be available to students in the early part of the new academic year and will allow them to discuss their future, search for jobs and apprenticeships and apply for college or university.

Sally Devlin, employability co-ordinator at Kings of Wessex Academy, said: “We are extremely grateful to Heidelberg Materials for its support, which will help us kick-start this important and exciting initiative to raise the aspirations of students throughout the Wessex Learning Trust.

“Many young people are unaware of the range of employment and learning options that are open to them and, if they are, can be overwhelmed by the choice available. Our new employability hub will allow them to drop in and seek the advice and support they need to make the right choice for them.”

Simon Parkes, unit manager at Batts Combe quarry, added: “This is a fantastic initiative, which will play an important role in the future of students in our local community.

“It can be difficult for young people to know what to do when they finish in education, but the hub will cover all the options, including apprenticeships like our LEAD scheme, which allows school leavers to earn while they learn and develop supervisory skills in a hands-on environment.”