Career-minded students who will be the first to study at an innovative new construction training centre in Staveley joined project leaders for a visit to see how the development is progressing.
The Construction Skills Hub is a key project led by Chesterfield Borough Council and funded through the Staveley Town Deal. It will provide specialist training and career insights for thousands of learners in Staveley – creating opportunities for people to start, stay and grow in the town.
It will equip learners with the skills they need to access careers in the construction industry whilst also providing them with experience on a live construction site, as the Hub will be located in a new housing development in Mastin Moor.
Students were enrolled onto the programme in September and have started their learning at Chesterfield College whilst development of the Construction Skills Hub is ongoing, but they visited the future site to look at progress on the groundworks and see the construction project in action. They will be based on the site from April 2024 as supporting construction of the Hub will form part of their practical experience during their first year on the programme.
All students enjoyed the visit and were impressed with the scale of the site and intricacies of the groundworks taking place. First year student Brandon said: “I am really happy to be a part of the first group of students to be involved at the Construction Skills Hub, I am learning valuable skills at college, and I can’t wait to use these skills on a real life construction site.”
The council-led project is being built on land owned by the Devonshire Group, with training provided by Chesterfield College and the University of Derby.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and vice-chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “This is a fantastic project for Staveley that is built on strong partnerships between the public and private sector. Providing the opportunity for people to develop both skills and experience in one location will help ensure that they can access careers in the sector when they complete their qualifications.”
Chesterfield College Assistant Principal for Advanced Manufacturing and Building Technologies, Gavin Varley, explains: “The Construction Skills Hub will make a career-lasting impression on the next generation of local construction trades workforce as they are honing their professional skills.
“As a college, we know the experience of working on a live site is invaluable and will benefit our learners for years to come so providing opportunities to be part of projects such as this one is essential to our mission of inspiring futures and changing lives.”
Initially the Hub will provide training in site and bench joinery, brickwork, groundworks and electrical installation but in time will offer opportunities in retrofit and green technologies. It will be open to school leavers and other residents seeking to train or retrain.
Andrew Byrne, Property Development Director for Devonshire Group Property, said: “The Construction Skills Hub is set to provide incredible opportunities for local students looking to gain the best possible start to a richly diverse career in the sector.
“Ensuring that the construction and property development industry has a strong pipeline of upcoming talent is pivotal to its progressive future success, so I have no doubt that we’re as excited as the participating students by the opportunities promised by the hub.”
Funding for the Construction Skills Hub has been provided through the Staveley Town Deal. Over ten years, the Hub aims to provide careers insights, training and work experience for over 5,000 learners.
