City of Liverpool College has secured the cash from the Government’s Construction Skills Fund to create the hub at Collingwood Dock within Peel’s £5bn Liverpool Waters project. Tony McDonough reports
A new £500,000 ‘Construction Hub’ is being created in the heart of the £5bn Liverpool Waters project in a bid to help address the skills shortage in the construction industry.
The City of Liverpool College has secured the cash from the Government’s Construction Skills Fund to create the hub at the currently disused Collingwood Dock in partnership with site owner Peel Land and Property.
Liverpool Waters includes the development of numerous residential, commercial and leisure facilities across five distinct neighbourhoods, starting at Princes Dock and spanning north to Northern Docks.
Multiple projects
With the creation of 9,000 homes, more than 3m sq ft of business space, a cruise liner terminal, an Isle of Man Ferry terminal and an accompanying hotel, the demand for skilled construction workers in Liverpool will be greater than ever.
The City of Liverpool College and Liverpool Waters will look to cater to this demand by providing unemployed adults and young people not in education or training (NEETs) with work-ready skills to enter jobs within the construction industry.
Work is now under way to create the portable facility at Collingwood Dock which will comprise three separate areas, two of which will be used for teaching space, with the third used for welfare and office space.
Unemployed people
In addition, the hub will provide the opportunity for college students to receive practical, work ready site-specific training in a real construction site environment. It will be open to unemployed people and young people who are NEETs seeking a job in construction.
Elaine Bowker, principal at the City of Liverpool College, said: “Having this construction hub on Collingwood Dock means that a City of Liverpool College facility will be sitting amongst some of the city region’s largest and most ambitious construction projects, each of which will require a talented and eager workforce.”
Computer-generated image of the £5bn Liverpool Waters project
The project will also provide taster opportunities to people in declining industries and in under-represented groups in the sector to promote construction as a career option.
Learners will have access to skills training to make them work ready for the construction industry. This includes access to site ready training, CSCS cards and ACS Gas Accreditation. The Hub will also provide a gateway to construction qualifications and at all levels and apprenticeships up to degree level.
Direct access
Employers working with the Hub will have direct access to the college’s extensive work ready and motivated talent pool to support their recruitment needs.
Ian Pollitt, assistant project director at Liverpool Waters, added: “Our aim has always been to create a real and meaningful legacy, that provides a fantastic working environment for the city region’s young people, as well as a waterfront location that people enjoy living and working in.
“We are constantly finding new ways of working with The City of Liverpool College, to ensure our shared objective of training and developing the skills of the workforce of tomorrow is at the forefront of all our partners’ minds.”