Reds10 and Driffield School and Sixth Form launch Construction T Level with support from The Talent Foundry

Reds10, a pioneer of industrialised construction, has partnered with Driffield School and Sixth Form and The Talent Foundry, a UK charity dedicated to improving social mobility for young people, to support the introduction of the Construction T Level into the school’s curriculum as an alternative to A Levels for young people in Driffield and East Riding.

The two-year immersive programme launched this month, with the official T Level course set to begin in October 2027. It is designed to create sustainable pathways into construction careers for local young people, helping to tackle the UK’s construction skills shortage. The programme will mainly be conducted at the school, with industry visits and work experience hosted at Reds10 giving students direct exposure to real-world industrialised construction environments.

Reds10’s Driffield site spans five factory buildings, employs 269 staff members, and is one of the region’s largest local employers with approximately 82% of its workforce living within a 30-mile radius. The company places a strong emphasis on skills development and inclusive employment. Its factory currently supports 16 apprentices through a structured programme led by a full-time mentor and delivered by a dedicated Apprentice Hub focused on joinery training.

This new initiative is designed to build aspiration and position the new T Level as an exciting and accessible post-16 pathway. It will support two parallel routes into the industry: a Professional Pathway through the T Level, and a Vocational Pathway through apprenticeships. A strong advocate for T Levels, Reds10 recognises the limited availability of such courses locally, so this programme has been designed in collaboration with The Talent Foundry and Driffield School and Sixth Form to directly address the gap, while also scaling up the company’s capacity to offer local apprenticeships over the next two years.

Students will be engaged through two cohorts. Cohort A includes students entering Year 10 in September 2025, who will be the first to enrol in the Construction T Level. Cohort B comprises current Year 9 students, who will be introduced to construction earlier through practical workshops that connect STEM subjects with real careers. Both cohorts will receive tailored coaching, immersive experiences, and ongoing support aligned with the school calendar, such as guidance on GCSE options and post-16 pathways. The programme is designed to meet the needs of each student, ensuring meaningful progression into skilled construction careers.

In this collaboration, Reds10 is acting as both funder and employer, The Talent Foundry acts as facilitator, and Driffield School and Sixth Form serves as the key education partner.

Paul Ruddick, CEO at Reds10, said:

“At Reds10, we firmly believe in the importance of creating opportunities for local young people. While demand for apprenticeships in construction is strong, the industry isn’t providing enough apprenticeship opportunities to meet this demand. By employing our own workforce and using our offsite construction model, we can offer consistent, high-quality training and meaningful career pathways. Working with like-minded partners like The Talent Foundry and Driffield School creates accessible routes into fulfilling construction careers that are built on innovation, stability, and real opportunity.”

Jenni Anderson at The Talent Foundry, added:

"At The Talent Foundry, we believe that working in partnership can unlock opportunity for young people. With Reds10 and Driffield School we will be supporting talented local young people have a clear and supported route into exciting and sustainable careers in construction. Together this programme will dismantle industry barriers and help students to realise their potential, no matter their background."

Vicky Loftus, Headteacher at Driffield School and Sixth Form, commented:

“We have a great partnership with Reds10 and have worked closely with them in recent years to offer a range of careers activities for our students. I am delighted that we have been able to work together to provide such an amazing opportunity for our students at Post-16, expanding our Sixth Form curriculum offer in September 2027 to include a T-Level as well as our wide range of traditional A Levels. We are also thrilled to be working with The Talent Foundry and are looking forward to their first STEM-linked workshops with our Year 9 cohort in November. We are all excited about the benefits that this partnership can bring to our local community.”

Darren Andrews, Head of Sixth Form at Driffield School and Sixth Form, added:

“We are excited to be collaborating with The Talent Foundry and Reds10 to expand the opportunities for the young people of Driffield and the surrounding area. This is a unique scheme which aligns perfectly with our desire to equip all students with the skills and experience needed to secure positive future destinations.”