New Ashfield training centre promoting ‘green skills’ set to create thousands of jobs

The project will see West Nottinghamshire College’s existing construction centre, off Lowmoor Road, Kirkby, extended to provide 250 sq metres of additional training space, alongside a new Civil Engineering Centre on an adjacent site.

Adjoining land will also be used for training in water management and carbon sequestration – the capture, removal and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The pioneering project will see the college, Nottingham Trent University and Ashfield Council join forces with construction companies to develop the training centre and demonstrator site for low-carbon building methods and retrofit of existing homes to help achieve net-zero.

It comes after they secured a £1.5 million government grant to kick-start the ambitious scheme, which is tipped to support almost 100 businesses and create 3,200 jobs at qualification levels two and three over the next decade.

The project will enable the college to enhance its construction curriculum and NTU to broaden its higher education offer in construction.

Work on the facility is expected to get under way in summer 2023.

Andrew Cropley, college principal and chief executive, said: “A common issue faced by employers is the need to access more workers trained in green skills in new and emerging areas, such as rail and drainage infrastructure, heat pumps and modern construction methods.

“This investment will boost skills, earnings and economic output in a critical growth sector. Not only will it provide enhanced training opportunities for local people, employers across the region will also benefit from a pipeline of new talent.”

Prof Richard Bull, NTU school of architecture, design and built environment deputy dean, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to further our reputation in the area of low-carbon construction and retrofit, and enable us to deliver high-quality education to enable the low-carbon transition in Ashfield and Mansfield.”

Coun Matthew Relf, council executive member for regeneration and corporate transformation, said: “When the new centre is up and running it will provide fantastic opportunities to give young people future-proof skills, ensuring they can secure employment in the sector. With a focus on low-carbon construction, the centre will be leading the way for the East Midlands.”