Skills Training Centre Opens

The 900 sq m upgrade to the College’s existing facilities, which was designed by Waterland Architects and built by Lindum, comes after substantial growth in recent student applications; around fifteen per cent more each year.

Jointly funded by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Department for Education Post-16 Capital Funding, the Modern Methods of Construction Centre is now the primary learning facility for over 500 additional plumbing, carpentry, brickwork and electrical installation students, working to bridge the estimated 49,000 person skills shortage within the Eastern region.

Pat Doody, outgoing chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said:

“The LEP’s £2.1m investment in this scheme recognises the need for a skilled workforce in the construction and engineering sectors, responding to the emerging requirements of modern methods of construction.

“Not only will the project create new opportunities for future students, but it will also meet the needs of local employers, address local and regional skills gaps and directly contribute to local, regional and national economies, enabling an innovative and employer-focused curriculum and accommodating forecast high demand.”

The building itself reflects its responsibility to teach and provide learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties that reflect the rapid evo­lu­tion of the construc­tion indus­try through automa­tion, car­bon reduc­tion and the increased use of pre­fab­ri­ca­tion.

56 solar panels were installed on the roof as a source of renewable energy within the College, air-source heat pumps heat the building, and its bricks have been sourced from envi­ron­men­tal­ly friend­ly man­u­fac­tur­ers to ensure the car­bon foot­print of the build­ing is min­imised.

The build will now house six retrofit courses, designed to prepare the construction workforce of the future to meet the UK’s legal­ly bind­ing com­mit­ment to be car­bon neu­tral by 2050.