Severn Valley region was one of the award winners at a recent ceremony held by a construction school.

Accxel – the UK's first construction skills accelerator centre founded to tackle the skills shortages in the industry – handed the bronze Constructing Futures Award to the developer, which funds three apprenticeships at the Cinderford-based college, at its AccXtravaganza ceremony.

Severn Valley region business provides hundreds of jobs and constructs scores of homes every year from Gloucestershire to Somerset. Its nearest site the College is Fiddington Fields at Tewkesbury where homes are available from £240,000.

Accxel is a state-of-the-art centre of excellence to inspire, train and connect people entering and advancing within the UK construction industry. Developed by the industry, for the industry, Accxel will accelerate learning and equip men and women with knowledge and practical experience of the latest technological advances in sustainability and digital construction.

The event saw workshops and competitions where Accxel staff and students showcased their skills and facilities, including construction vehicle simulators.

Commenting, Severn Valley region Construction Director Robert Simpson said:

“We are extremely proud of our partnership with Accxel and Persimmon’s apprenticeship tradition so it was an honour for us to win this award.

“Persimmon is not only a builder of high-quality homes for local people but a major employer of skilled workers across the region which is why Accxel is a natural institution for us to work with.

“We look forward to continuing our work with Accxel and congratulate them too on a very successful year which was rightly celebrated at this event.”

Natalie King, Operations Director and Vice Principle of Accxel, added:

“We are thrilled to recognise Persimmon Homes as one of our award-winning Employer Partners for 2023.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the team, and we are delighted that Persimmon Homes appreciate the long-term value of investment in their people and the younger generation coming into the industry.

“We look forward to working with them into the future, as together, we are, Constructing Futures.”