West Midlands construction skills hub opens

A new hub to offer people in the West Midlands free construction training has opened in Birmingham city centre.

The hub will be led by Galliford Try and be based at the 3 Arena Central development fronting Chamberlain Square, where work is underway to build 240,000 sq ft of commercial space over 14 floors.

It was funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) through its Construction Gateway programme, will offer local people free construction training and a guaranteed job interview after completing a 20-day course.

The hub will offer 50 new jobs and a wide range of work placements over the next 12 months.

‘Increasing the number of people involved in construction is a vital part of our mission as a business,’ said Galliford Try operations director, David Bowdley.

‘People are the biggest asset for any construction business and having a diverse workforce only makes that contribution stronger.

‘We are delighted to be part of this innovative programme, exposing candidates from all communities to a range of careers in the industry and helping them gain recognised qualifications. We hope that it inspires them to start a new career in construction.’

The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street added: ‘We know new opportunities for up to 100,000 trained workers are set to open up in the construction industry over the next ten years.

‘Through our Construction Gateway programme, we are equipping local people with the skills that the industry urgently needs to fill these jobs.

‘This new training hub in Birmingham will help unemployed people to learn new construction skills for free, get real-world experience and have a guaranteed job interview at the end of their course.’

Opening the hub, Birmingham city councillor Sir Albert Bore, said: ‘There is so much construction work happening now to transform the city centre and to prepare for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and it’s crucial that our residents benefit. I’m very pleased that this training hub is helping to give local people new skills for a new career.’

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