Opening Doors to DEC Education at The Fleot, London
Kindly sponsored by the Mace Foundation, Class Of Your Own (COYO) introduced the Design Engineer Construct! Learning Programme at The Fleot Green Skills Hub, nestled amongst major developments in the Fleet Street Quarter, City of London.
From September 2024 to July 2025, working alongside Community Coworking founder Jo Tasker, our very own DEC Teacher Rob Lloyd (pictured far right, above) delivered a bespoke DEC programme engaging with a range of ‘hard-to-reach’ groups. The mission was to open doors into education, training and employment within the construction sector.
We’re so proud to announce that 35 young people have successfully completed a DEC Award in the relaxed and supportive environment that is our Fleot classroom.
Participants have come to the Fleot through a variety of channels, some self-referred, but many through the Bright Futures Educational Trust who have been working closely with London Gypsies and Travellers. The Youth Justice Service and related charities such as the Ozmani Trust that support young people in their transition back into employment and training have also referred young people to the programme.
Our fabulous students have now gone on to access a range of exciting outcomes, from successful applications to join the Building Craft College, to electrical and project management apprenticeships at Heathrow.
“I want to sincerely thank you for the guidance and skills you provided—they played a significant role in helping me get to this stage.”
DEC Award graduate, now K10 Electrical Apprentice
“I want to thank everyone at the Fleot for their support earlier this year. It gave me a solid foundation of knowledge that I know will serve me well in my next steps.”
DEC Award Graduate, now Project Management Apprentice
A real-world learning experience with DEC Awards
COYO’s DEC Awards formed the spine of the participants’ experience. The Awards offer accessible project-based learning in which learners can explore the architectural and engineering design process, discover the importance of sustainable solutions, and identify why buildings exist, starting with the end-user’s needs.
The programme has run on repeat, every five weeks throughout the year, engaging participants in new digital skills and creative tasks, all the while developing essential soft skills for employment.
In addition to the core programme, COYO has also been part of a Community Coworking and Kings Trust collaboration. COYO’s popular Eco Classroom Workshop was woven into the two-week programme, alongside introductions to a variety of construction trades and employability sessions.
Wrap-Around Support Through Collaboration
Class Of Your Own and Community Coworking have embedded additional support and guidance onto each DEC Award. Participants have worked in small cohorts and accessed tailored advice for their next steps back into education, or to take their first steps into the world of technical training and employment.
CSCS card tuition and assessment has been provided to those who complete the DEC Award, as well as taster days at the Building Crafts College for those eligible to take up free courses as part of their next steps.
Industry Support from Mace Group
The additional support of Mace throughout the year has been invaluable to bring learning to life through site visits and professional presentations in the classroom. Each participant also received one-to-one guidance from Mace’s Social Value team, aiding their understanding of their options going forward.
Working as a Network
Multiple partners have worked closely together to provide a programme that is accessible, interesting and valuable. COYO would like to offer huge thanks to Mace volunteers for their time and expertise; to London Gypsies and Travellers and Bright Futures UK for widening participation of the programme to often isolated groups; to Get Zero for their additional employability advice and guidance – and of course, to Jo Tasker and Joe Wilson of Community Coworking, for initiating The Fleot and keeping the doors open!
“From not knowing us or even each other, this brilliant group of young people walked into the hub 2 weeks ago, with little expectation.
Today, as they finish up their projects, they have experienced both the ‘shoes’ and ‘boots’ sides of the industry; found out that they actually have transferable skills, and above all have made the best of friends in each other, and us.“
Jo Tasker, CoFounder / CEO
Community Coworking Limited
An Open Door to Progress
Having completed the programme and been certificated with a DEC Award, this is just the beginning for the participants at The Fleot. Their next steps vary, from completing essential skills in English and Maths and CSCS training and assessment, to accessing Level 2 and 3 technical qualifications in trades, to advancing to apprenticeships and full employment.
The door remains open to all participants to seek further advice, or to find a safe and quiet place to work.
For more information on DEC at The Fleot, please contact support@classofyourown.com
Book a DEC DISCOVERY CALL
Chat about learning, teaching and supporting DEC with one of our team
Are you from industry?
Visit the COYO website and learn how you can recruit exceptional DEC talent, improve your organisation’s diversity and surpass your ESG commitments!
