The City of Liverpool College has re-opened its on-site ‘Construction Hub’ at Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters, as part of its mission to bridge the gap between training and employment in the construction industry and give employers access to the talent they need. 

The Hub, which was forced to close its doors during the Covid-19 pandemic, was originally launched in 2019 after The City of Liverpool College was successful with its bid for a CITB construction Hub.

The College has worked in partnership with Liverpool Waters, Peel L&P’s £5 billion waterfront development scheme, to re-open the Hub and welcome learners back to Collingwood Dock. Through the Hub, employers have the opportunity to find the talent they need for their business, as well as upskilling their existing teams.

Learners also benefit, having the opportunity to work with high-profile contractors such as Laing O’Rourke and Lovell Homes, as well as gaining access to level one, two and three study programmes, Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes, part-time programmes for adults and opportunities for ACS Gas Accreditation.

Liverpool Waters is the largest single development opportunity in the city and is set to create a sustainable, world-class, mixed-use waterfront and bring life back to the historic docklands. Extending to over 2km along the banks of the River Mersey, this scheme has outline planning permission for 20 million sq ft of mixed-use development across 60 hectares.

Construction on Liverpool Waters currently includes the new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal and the much anticipated £500m Everton stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, and there are more projects in the pipeline. When this activity is combined with a host of other developments across the city, the demand for skilled construction workers in Liverpool is greater than ever.

By working together, using the Construction Hub, The City of Liverpool College and Peel L&P will cater to this demand and provide employers the chance to find their future workforce, as well as giving learners the opportunity to work closely with, and in the environment of, Liverpool’s growing construction industry.

The Hub allows for contractors to source work experience students, apprentices and part-time and full-time workers directly from the College’s talent pool.

The facility consists of three separate areas, two of which will be used for teaching space, with the third used for welfare and an office space. In addition, the Hub provides the opportunity for College students to receive practical, site-specific training in a controlled environment.

Elaine Bowker, principal at the City of Liverpool College, said:

 “There are so many exciting construction projects happening across our city region, so now is the perfect time to re-open the doors of our Construction Hub, to welcome the future generation of workers, support employers to source the skills they need, as well as to help upskill the existing workforce.

“The City of Liverpool College is the college for business, so it’s only right that we are putting our learners at the very heart of one of Europe’s largest regeneration and development schemes. 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.”

Chris Capes, Director of Development at Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters, said:

“Our vision for Liverpool Waters and the regeneration of the city’s waterfront includes creating a lasting economic legacy and maximising opportunities for local people. Along with The City of Liverpool College, we share the objective of training and developing the workforce of the future and ensuring young people from across the region benefit from the regeneration of Liverpool Waters. 

“The range of qualifications and experiences the Construction Hub offers gives the students a real head-start in entering the construction sector, and we are proud to be playing our part in making it happen.”

This strategic partnership is one of 26 hubs across the country with access to the £22 million Construction Skills Fund, the purpose of which is to help train 17,000 young people to be job and site-ready by March 2020.