by business edtior Trevor Sturgess

A long-established building firm has scooped a top employer award for its work with young people.

Denne, founded more than two centuries ago, won the Employer Innovation Award at the 2012 JTL South East Regional Awards.

Now part of the Leadbitter Group, which in turn is owned by French construction giant Bouygues, Denne won the award for its construction apprenticeships and engagement with schools and colleges.

Denne, based in Sittingbourne, aims to create long term employment opportunities and boost skills.. It has set up skills centres at various project sites across the south east.

The first was at the Stanhope regeneration project in Ashford. The centre was the first in the UK to be accredited by the National Skills Academy (NSA) for construction and the first ever for a housing project.

Since then, Denne has established skills centres on projects in Rochester, South Kilburn, Harlow and two in Brighton.

The centres offer work experience, apprenticeships, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS).

Students at schools and colleges are encouraged to visit sites, take part in workshops and other activities designed to show young children the exciting career opportunities on offer in the construction industry.

Graham Brown, managing director, said: “We are delighted to have won this award, which recognises the enormous effort our project teams make to create job opportunities for local people.

"Denne is committed to maintaining apprenticeships and also expanding the ways in which we can incorporate innovative training opportunities into our projects as part of our community engagement model.”

JTL provides training to the building services engineering sector and supports more than 10,000 apprentices with some 3,500 employers.