Seddon showcases next generation talent

As featured in Birmingham Business

Seddon welcomed Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, and senior representatives from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to its Millennium Community Centre project in Wednesbury. Councillor Peter Hughes, Sandwell’s cabinet member for Regeneration and Infrastructure, joined the visit.

Guests met members of Seddon’s early-careers team and toured the site to see how local employment, social value and skills investment are built into the project. The team included:

• trainee site manager Joseph Byngwater
• trainee quantity surveyor Jack Phillips
• sustainability placement student Freddie Tranter
• Trailblazer placement participant Aimee Stevenson

Demand to join the industry is strong. Last year Seddon received more than 2,500 applications for 23 apprenticeship roles. Owner and director Nicola Hodkinson said: “There is huge demand from the next generation to join our industry.” She added that employers need stable pipelines of work and long-term collaboration to keep investing in training. “Today is about demonstrating what’s possible when skills and delivery are treated as two sides of the same conversation.”

Mayor Parker said he has put £75m into construction skills. “Apprenticeships are critical for building a fairer and stronger West Midlands,” he said. Cllr Hughes added: “Projects like this show how construction can support communities beyond the physical buildings being delivered.”

Seddon has a growing pipeline of education, healthcare, housing and public sector work across the Midlands. It continues to work with WMCA, councils, colleges and supply chain partners to create pathways from entry-level roles through to future leadership.

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