Bishop Burton College awarded £2.5m to bridge construction skills gap
EXPANSION: How the new Bishop Burton College construction facilities will look
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
Bishop Burton College has secured £2.5m from the Department for Education (DfE) to help address critical construction skills shortages across the region.
The money from the Construction Skills Capacity Fund will be used by the college to expand its Technical and Skills Construction and Engineering Centre, creating almost 100 additional learner places.
The investment will fund a major extension to the college’s existing construction facilities, providing state-of-the-art workshops that will enable more people to train for careers in the construction industry.
The development will create capacity for an additional 93 learners while also allowing the college to introduce new courses in Painting & Decorating and Interior and Exterior Wall Insulation (IWI/EWI).
These new programmes have been developed in direct response to employer demand and regional skills priorities, supporting both the construction sector and the transition to create more energy-efficient buildings.
Demand for construction courses at the college, near Beverley, has continued to grow year-on-year, with existing workshops now operating at full capacity.
The expansion will ensure more learners can access industry-standard training while helping employers recruit the skilled workforce they need.
INVESTMENT: Construction tutor Damien Brown, right, with students at Bishop Burton College
Danny Metters, principal and CEO of Bishop Burton College, said: “This is fantastic news for Bishop Burton College, our learners, employers and the wider region.
“The investment recognises the important role colleges play in developing the skilled workforce needed to support economic growth and deliver the homes, infrastructure and retrofit projects of the future.
“Our construction provision has experienced sustained growth in recent years and this renovation and expansion of existing facilities will enable us to provide outstanding learning environments for even more students.
“Introducing new programmes in Painting & Decorating and Interior and Exterior Wall Insulation will ensure our curriculum continues to reflect the needs of employers and the evolving construction industry."
The project has been developed in partnership with regional employers, who have helped shape the curriculum and have committed to supporting delivery through industry expertise, work placements, masterclasses and specialist equipment.
The expansion also supports priorities identified within the Hull and East Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (HEY LSIP) by increasing training opportunities in key construction trades while helping address shortages in specialist retrofit skills.
Construction is expected to begin following completion of the project's mobilisation phase, with the new facilities supporting future generations of learners and strengthening the regional construction workforce.