New skills and construction training academy opens in Sheffield

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Tony Downing, has opened a new skills academy that will offer construction training for the unemployed

The new academy, which forms part of The Skills People Group, will focus on ‘building futures’ for those who are currently unemployed and over the age of 19.

The aim of the academy is to help the unemployed gain valuable skills that will help secure a permanent job and the opportunity to progress into a well-paid construction career.

The new academy, located on Clay Street, Attercliffe, will offer a range of fully funded construction courses providing attendees with both practical and digital skills whilst helping address current skills gaps in the construction sector.

For those interested in participating in the programme, registration is now open. Spaces are available for attendees to complete a three-week‘ Introduction to Construction’ course, as well as for a seven-week Level 1 Diploma in Construction Multi-Skills course which will cover practical matters including bricklaying, joinery, plastering, and tiling.

Kunda Kinteh, 50, from Rotherham, who has recently completed the ‘Introduction into Construction’ course, said: “Before I completed it I knew nothing about construction and thought that a career in it would be unattainable.

“Now I now have a CSCS card which allows me to work on a UK Construction site and I’m about to start a Level 1 Diploma in Construction Multi-Skills.”

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Tony Downing commented: “It’s great that Sheffield and the wider community have access to this fantastic new training facility, it’s clear to see how it will benefit both local residents and employers.”