Young people with determination deserve a chance to turn things around.
Meanwhile, in custody suites across London, young adults aged 18-25 are being arrested. Many have the capability, but most lack pathways. The construction industry, desperate for people, rarely connects these two realities.
We’re working with DIVERT London to change that.
The model
DIVERT stations coaches in 12 of London’s busiest police stations. When young people are arrested, they’re offered a conversation – private, impartial, practical. Not about the offence. About what happens next.
The coaches map out support: certifications, training, connections to employers who’ll actually give them a start. Since 2015, they’ve engaged with over 8,000 young people. One in three has moved into education, training, or employment.
For M R, this addresses a direct business need. We require skilled scaffolders. DIVERT works with young adults who need genuine opportunities in sectors they’ve likely never considered. The model is structured: certifications, yard training, site work, peer support from people who’ve been through it. As one person progresses, space opens for the next.
We’re committed to keeping this pathway open as part of how we build our team, because young people with determination deserve a chance to turn things around.
The long game
Thirty minutes from our office, Legacy Youth Zone is under construction in Croydon – a purpose-built facility for young people aged 8-19. Access to sport, arts, music, enterprise, and, crucially, people who show up consistently. Having dedicated mentors and staff ensures that young people receive ongoing guidance and support, helping them build confidence and achieve their goals.
The return isn’t immediate. Youth Zones don’t produce qualified scaffolders at 14, but they do create environments where young people develop the resilience, communication skills, and work ethic that enable them to succeed in later training, where “construction” becomes a sector, they might consider.
That matters in an industry struggling to attract the next generation.
What infrastructure means
This partnership addresses a fundamental issue: construction needs people, and people need pathways.
DIVERT works at the crisis point where young adults who’ve made mistakes but have the capability and need immediate, practical routes forward.
Legacy works earlier, creating stable environments where young people build foundations before issues arise.
The industry will continue to talk about skills gaps, or it will invest in the systems that develop skilled people. We’re choosing the latter because it’s the only model that makes practical sense for a business planning to operate for the next 50 years.
This is how we build: recognising that scaffolding infrastructure and social infrastructure aren’t separate investments, they’re the same work.
DIVERT London
DIVERT is a Metropolitan Police Service custody-based intervention programme, funded by the Violence Reduction Unit and operating across 12 of London’s busiest police stations.
When a young person aged 18–25 is arrested, a trained DIVERT coach, independent of the police, meets with them at what the programme describes as a “teachable moment”. The coach listens, builds a clear understanding of circumstances and creates a structured plan for what comes next.