Delivering social value and community benefits

The National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC) creates social value and delivers lasting positive change to benefit communities – while helping industry get the talent and skills it needs.

The NSAfC approach is an industry-led solution to embedding employment opportunities, apprenticeships and skills development into the procurement and execution of construction works.

Background

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public bodies procuring services to ensure that contracts achieve social, economical and environmental benefits beyond just the primary goals. Within this, there is significant scope for activities supporting skills development, training and employment provision to achieve social and economic benefits.

With its set of measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be included in public contracts, the NSAfC enables the construction sector to generate and demonstrate social and economic benefits, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), larger contractors and procuring authorities working together towards shared goals.

Transforming communities

The NSAfC ensures that community benefits are at the centre of considerations before, during and after the procurement process. Lessons learned and experiences shared inform future projects, creating a virtuous circle that promises to build social value.

Providing work placements in meaningful environments, organising inspirational careers events that broaden horizons and open doorways, supporting dynamic apprenticeships, making training opportunities available to anyone in the workforce, and creating new and sustainable jobs are the real-world outcomes of the NSAfC that are making a difference and transforming lives and communities.

Community benefit forums in Scotland

There are two community benefit forums in Scotland (Central and Northern Scotland) that bring together construction employers who are creating social value through public sector contracts. The forums facilitate the sharing of best practice, open dialogue with contracting authorities, and put on guest speakers who offer insights into how to help delivery of the National Performance Framework and relevant National Outcomes.

For further details, please contact Laura Brady (Central Scotland) or Vanessa Gallant (Northern Scotland).

Find out more

Find out more about how to put social value and community benefits at the centre of your project, by downloading the Community Benefits Toolkit for Construction from the Scottish Futures Trust.