ENFIELD CONSTRUCTION SKILLS ACADEMY OFFICIALLY OPENS AT MERIDIAN WATER REGENERATION SITE

[A NEW Enfield Construction Skills Academy has flung open its doors to provide training to support the Meridian Water regeneration in the borough and tackle a skills shortage in the industry.

The Skills Academy will support the demand for skilled workers across the sector including the huge redevelopment project to build 10,000 homes and create 6,000 jobs.

Delivered in partnership by Capital City College Group (CCCG), Enfield Council and Countryside Partnerships, the Skills Academy aims to train 500 people a year.

The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL), part of CCCG, will provide courses and apprenticeships in construction skills with a focus on sustainable development based on industry needs.

Students will benefit from a range of facilities including dedicated indoor and outdoor workspaces to give them hands-on skills using various construction methods and equipment.

According to the Construction

Industry Training Board, 225,000 extra workers will be required to meet the demands of the UK construction industry by 2027.

The Skills Academy was officially opened at a ceremony on 14 June attended by representatives from the partner organisations, construction employers, education providers and other organisations. Guests were given demonstrations and invited to try their hand at different construction skills by CONEL students, some of whom could be going on to apprenticeships at the Skills Academy.

Plumbing student Alfie Merry, 20, said: “I’ve been training to become a plumber at CONEL. The teaching and facilities on my course have been brilliant. The Skills Academy looks amazing. I’m confident of getting a great career after college.” q

• Find out more about the Enfield Construction Skills Academy and apply at capitalccg.ac.uk

COULD YOU JOIN THE RANKS OF THOSE WHO ARE TEACHING?

[DO YOU WANT to move your career in a different direction while still using your existing construction skills? Are you able to pass on your wealth of knowledge and expertise to the next generation of talent in your industry?

Those are two questions posed by Wiltshire College & University Centre (WCUC) to skilled construction professionals looking for a new career in education. The move from a career in industry to teaching can seem daunting, but it’s probably not as difficult as people might think.

To find out more, they have introduced a new ‘We Are Teaching’ taster programme to enable potential teachers to get a taste of teaching without making a commitment to a full career change.

WCUC’s communications manager Katy Clark explained: “The programme will be tailored to fit around your current work, giving you the opportunity to discover if teaching could be for you without having to make a commitment to changing your career.

“You’ll teach our enthusiastic young tradespeople who are looking to gain the skills they need to start a career in a wide range of exciting construction fields.

“There has never been a better time to join WCUC. Whether you are experienced in teaching or assessing already, or looking to start a new career in education, we’re always looking for passionate, talented people with new ideas who are keen to make a difference to our students.

“Most of our lecturers come from industry and teaching is their second career, often while continuing to be active in their primary profession.”

WCUC is one of Wiltshire’s largest employers and has more than 800 staff on either a full-time, part-time or casual basis. It also provides a wide range of benefits, including excellent holiday entitlement and a pension scheme with generous employer contributions, along with a focus on continuing professional development. q

• To find out more about working at WCUC and their ‘We Are Teaching’ taster programme visit www.wiltshire.ac.uk/weareteaching