Preparing Reading for work
17th September 2026
Developing skills and work experience opportunities for young people in South Reading has been the focus of REDA’s work over the last two years delivering Section106 funded Employment and Skills Plans (ESP).
These ESPs have been designed to give people access to the jobs market through a series of interventions such as interactive careers projects with employer visits to Reading schools, work experience schemes, job fairs, apprenticeships and other projects. They have been funded by a levy on new construction projects, under Section 106 planning policy.
This work has taken place against a backdrop of a ‘lost generation’ of young people nationally, higher than regional unemployment levels in some areas of Reading, unemployment among people at both ends of the age spectrum and a slow vacancy recruitment market among private sector employers.
REDA, on behalf of Reading Borough Council, has delivered a series of employment and skills outcomes designed to support local growth for both residents and businesses. The projects build on and compliment the Borough’s Social Inclusion Board strategy and its place-based programme work which identifies the indices of deprivation that adversely affect opportunity across Reading.
Nigel Horton-Baker, Chief Executive of REDA said: “The Employment and Skills Plans provide a very cost-effective way of supporting local residents who are struggling to find and sustain work, become self-employed or retrain in new skills. Just as importantly, the programme has been preparing young people in our schools and colleges for the world of work.”
The construction of the Station Hill site is a good case study of this work over the past three years, with 30 apprentices on site, 290 students visiting the site, 53 students attending a CSCS workshop supported by CITB and Activate and 148 gaining work experience. Further jobs and training opportunities will be available through the granting of planning permission for phase 3 of the development.
Over the last two years, the Employment and Skills Plans Programme managed and delivered by REDA with local property developers and a range of partners has created 452 construction jobs, 25 apprenticeships, helped 53 people obtain construction cards, 290 school students participate in construction site visits, held 57 careers events involving nearly 9000 school age students in hands on projects, organised 7 jobs fairs attended by nearly 4000 unemployed residents and young people.
In the last year REDA also ran informal drop-in counselling clinics at Whitley Café run by Whitley CDA (Community Development Association), meeting with and providing advice to over 120 residents looking to set up in self-employment.
Over the next two years, further similar programmes of activity will be delivered by REDA working with Council officers and their extensive partnership network, with the youth sector as a priority. Ongoing engagement with developers and the end users of completed developments will be used to create these employment and skills opportunities to reach all parts of Reading’s community. The work of the Employment and Skills Plans will be set against the context of the new Reading Economic Framework 2025-35 and the emerging Berkshire Economic Growth Plan.
