Construction Skills Academy opens its Door

Cogent - The Sector Skills Council for Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Petroleum and Polymers

Education and Qualifications

Gold Standard

Members and Partners

Competence Assurance

Construction Skills Academy opens its Door

29 Nov 2006

Nine construction workers are starting courses through the first of the new employer-led skills academies. The £600m Bishopsgate development in the City of London is the first site to offer hands-on training as part of the Construction Skills academy. More than 30 similar projects are set to be established over the next five years, using mobile training centres.

Education Secretary Alan Johnson told those gathered for the start of the scheme on Monday 25th November that the academy is vital at a time when demand for skilled workers is going to soar. "The National Skill Academy Programme will play a key role in this, putting employers in the driving seat when it comes to deciding where the skills are in their sector and how best to close them," he says.

The academy has been developed in partnership with ConstructionSkills, the sector skills council for the construction industry, leading industry employers and training providers. Its chairman, Sir Michael Latham, said the academy enabled industry to get training and support "that it needs, where it needs it". Employers are expected to design and control the learning programmes in partnership with training providers and the Learning and Skills Council.

Up to 1,000 trainees and experienced workers are expected to make use of the Bishopsgate development during the next two years.

The aim is for the 30 centres to boost the skills of up to 100,000 experienced workers and to form up to 10,000 apprenticeships. The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said it was vital that skills were improved "right across the board".

Recently the DfES has given Cogent the go head for a Process Industries National Skills Academy (PINSA) and a Nuclear National Skills Academy (NNSA). These new Academies will go live at the end of 2007.

Cogent is delighted that these two Academy bids have been successful, largely through the significant employer support for the projects. Cogent has worked in close collaboration with all the regional agencies and employer cluster organisations to reach this stage. These important partnerships will remain in place as Cogent moves forward.

For further information please contact Kate Hutchins.