Nottingham has been selected to receive £1 million from the Construction Skills Fund to support and encourage more people into construction jobs and training
The Construction Skills Fund was launched in June 2018 and Nottingham has been chosen as one of 26 successful bidders from across the country.
Partners in Nottingham have been given a slice of a £22 million funding pot, which will be used to launch construction academies with Nottingham College.
These academies will bring training to construction sites – allowing learners to apply their knowledge in a real-world environment.
The funding will help local people to secure jobs in the industry and will pay for the relevant training that they need.
James Whybrow, Nottingham College Vice Principal – Partnerships, Apprenticeships and Enterprise, said: “This funding will give hundreds of local people the opportunity to develop their skills on site and secure jobs in construction.
“We are particularly excited that our own City Hub site will be one of the sites to offer this opportunity, meaning our new campus will be educating its first students 18 months before it opens for business.”
Alongside Nottingham College, Nottingham City Homes, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham City Council, Wates Construction and local construction firm Robert Woodhead helped to lead the bid.
Nick Murphy, Chief Executive at NCH, said: “On-site training is hugely beneficial, not just for us as employers but for trainees too, as it will help bridge the gap between training and working in the industry, meaning trainees are site-ready sooner.
“We hope this will encourage more people to look at training and working in the industry.”
It is believed that the fund will help local businesses to tackle the construction skills shortage, whilst also lending a hand to those wishing to join the industry.
The 18-month scheme is funded by the Department for Education and will be administered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
The funding will only support on-site training provision, and access to live construction projects is essential to qualify.
