The government has announced plans for 13 new University Technical Colleges including three specialising in construction, plus £147m for refurbishments to 47 Further Education colleges that will include new facilities for training the next generation in construction skills.
Contractors Laing O’Rourke, Galliford Try and Denne Construction are among 140 employers and universities backing the 13 new UTCs, which are set to open from September 2014.
UTCs are academies for 14-to-19-year-olds, which deliver full-time technical courses designed to train young people to meet the needs of modern business.
Courses are sponsored by a local university and employers, and combine practical and academic studies led by employers who support learning through work placements and access to industry facilities and equipment.
The new colleges join 27 already preparing to open and five currently open, making a total of 45 colleges to be opened by 2015.
Laing O’Rourke is supporting North East Greater Manchester UTC, which will specialise in sustainable engineering and construction.
Galliford Try is one of three industry partners behind the planned new South Devon UTC specialising in engineering and science.
And Denne Construction will support the proposed Medway UTC in Chatham, Kent, which will specialise in engineering and construction.
Contractors also stand to benefit from the £214m additional funding for improvements to 47 ailing Further Education colleges across the country, announced this week by skills minister Matthew Hancock.
The capital funding, £77m of which will be provided by government, with £137m matched by the targeted colleges, will be allocated through the Skills Funding Agency and is intended to help support smaller-scale new build and refurbishment projects worth in excess of £625m.
Targeted colleges were deemed to be in greatest need of help or those offering practical skills training to help growth in the economy.
New construction facilities due to be built include an £6.2m construction training centre at Bourneville College of Further Education, a £3.6m new construction and built environment centre at City College Norwich and a £2.6m new construction centre for Swindon College.
