ARMED FORCES GRADUATES CELEBRATE NEW FUTURES AT SHERFORD
Learners from the Armed Forces community have graduated from the Building Heroes Plymouth Academy, marking an important step in their journey towards new careers in construction and civilian life.
The graduation took place on Thursday 9th July at the Sherford Skills Training Centre. It was delivered by the Building Heroes Education Foundation in partnership with City College Plymouth, and supported by Vistry as partnering sponsor of the academy.
Th 12 learners, charity representatives, training partners and local supporters gathered to celebrate the cohort's achievements. Certificates were presented by Major General (Retired) Rich Spencer, Patron of Building Heroes Education Foundation, with Richard Tucker MBE, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, also on hand to mark the occasion.
This was the final graduation of the academic year, taking the total number of learners to graduate from the Plymouth Academy to 66 over the past 12 months; a reflection of the difference the academy continues to make for veterans, service leavers, reservists and military family members across Plymouth and the wider South West.
Building Heroes helps the Armed Forces community access practical training, recognised qualifications, employability support and a route into civilian careers. The academy is about more than construction skills alone: it offers a supportive environment where learners can build confidence, strengthen their wellbeing, form new friendships, and see how the skills they gained through military service transfer into civilian life.
A partnership at the heart of Sherford
The graduation also marked the ongoing partnership between Vistry and Building Heroes at Sherford. Vistry was instrumental in establishing the Sherford Skills Training Centre and has supported the initiative from the outset. A trusted Building Heroes partner since 2022, Vistry now sponsors four academies across the charity's national network. The Sherford Skills Training Centre sits at the heart of Sherford, which is being delivered by the Sherford Consortium.
Nicola Schneider, Deputy Chief Executive of Building Heroes Education Foundation, said:
"Graduation is always a proud and meaningful moment for Building Heroes. It recognises not only what our learners have achieved, but the commitment, courage and potential they bring as they take their next steps into civilian life.
"We place enormous value on the Armed Forces community and the skills, discipline and resilience they bring. Our programme helps learners build on those strengths, gain practical skills, access the right support and move forward with confidence. We are incredibly proud of our 12 Plymouth graduates and grateful to Vistry and City College Plymouth for helping create such a positive and purposeful academy environment. Partnerships like this are essential because they ensure our barrier free programmes are sustainable while also ensuring the training is connected with industry insight, opportunity and long-term impact.
"We are also grateful to Major General (Retired) Rich Spencer, our Patron, and Richard Tucker MBE, Chairman of our Board of Trustees, for attending and making this celebration even more significant for our learners, partners and the wider Building Heroes community."
Peter Tannian, Regional Managing Director for Vistry, Devon and Cornwall, said:
"This graduation is a proud moment for everyone involved in the Building Heroes partnership at Sherford. The Armed Forces community brings exceptional qualities to the construction industry – including discipline, teamwork and determination – and these graduates are a great example of how those strengths translate into new civilian careers.
"We have worked alongside Building Heroes for years and the partnership has gone from strength to strength, supporting academies across the country and hundreds of learners. The Sherford Skills Training Centre was created to open up opportunities like these, and it is rewarding to see it continuing to deliver real outcomes. Sherford is a long-term project to build a new town, so it is fitting that it is also helping people build new futures."
About Building Heroes
Building Heroes Education Foundation is a UK charity supporting members of the Armed Forces community into civilian careers in construction and the built environment. A Gold Employer Recognition Armed Forces Covenant holder and recipient of the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity (Social Mobility), the charity has supported over 4,500 learners to date with practical skills training, industry awareness and direct employer engagement.
The Building Heroes Plymouth Academy is based at the Sherford Skills Training Centre and delivered in partnership with City College Plymouth, with Vistry as sponsoring academy partner.
