College expansion to build a 21st Century construction workforce for Lincolnshire

Lincoln College has launched a new training facility that will be led by local construction firms – to put it at the cutting edge of emerging low carbon building techniques.

The college also aims to buy properties, with students working alongside local firms to renovate them to help regenerate the local area.

As the industry gears up for net zero-carbon targets by 2050, the Construction College, which features the Gusto Homes ECOnstruction Centre of Excellence, was opened by Chairman of Lincolnshire County Council Cllr Colin Bridges and Gusto Homes CEO Steff Wright.

This new employer-led approach to construction training will now be able to train an additional 100 learners a year.

And the College is calling on more firms to establish a commercial presence on its campus to train students, up-skills staff and run professional development workshops for the industry as a whole.

Cllr Bridges said: “The College has demonstrated an extraordinary level of responsiveness to emerging trends in the sector and the demand for skilled workers.

“I would urge more local construction firms to engage with the College to help it achieve its vision.”

The ECOnstruction Centre of Excellence is a place where students, staff and the wider industry can up-skill on the application and impact of products like solar PV roof panels, triple glazing, waste water heat recovery, air source and ground source heat pumps.

Steff Wright said: “This is a really well timed launch. Building regulation changes are inevitable if we are to meet challenging government targets and there will be a need for the whole industry to up-skill and develop.

“This is a real opportunity to work with the college to develop the skills of local people during an exciting time of change within the house building and wider construction industry. It’s also a space where companies developing innovative new construction products can showcase them to people within the industry.”

More than 20 local firms joined the opening and pledged their support to help develop the College over the next three years.

Lincoln College Group CEO Gary Headland said: “Our focus will be on continuing to listen to employers to ensure we produce highly skilled and productive people to add economic and social value in the local area.

“We are developing a really exciting student experience that will see them spending a significant amount of time in industry so they can start adding value to local firms from day-one of their apprenticeships.”