New Edgware construction training facility to deliver green skills opportunities
The Skills Centre and Places for London open their third training Centre for Londoners together, this one in partnership with the London Borough of Barnet and Ballymore.
The Skills Centre and Places for London launch new Edgware construction training facility to deliver green skills opportunities to the borough
The Skills Centre, one of the UK’s leading construction training providers, in partnership with Places for London, Ballymore and Barnet Council, and with engagement from Brent Cross, is bringing a new community-focused green skills training facility to Station Road, Edgware.
Through collaboration with local employers, Barnet Council and the community, this state-of-the-art facility has been designed to build opportunities and transform lives by equipping local residents with essential skills in green construction, insulation, and interior systems, directly addressing the needs of the construction industry.
It offers employer-led, flexible programmes that aim to actively address the UK’s construction skills gap while benefiting the community of Edgware and its surrounding areas.
The new centre, on Places for London land, will offer north London residents entry-level pre-employment programmes, interior systems bootcamps and apprenticeships, management, and supervisor training and CSCS testing. Learners will have the opportunity to progress through multiple levels of funded training to launch and grow sustainable construction careers.
It is already making a positive impact on the local community in Edgware and across Barnet.
One individual who has benefitted is Simon, a 25-year-old Hendon resident who applied to work on the fit-out through Barnet Council’s Care Leavers scheme. Simon gained vital new skills through the project from carpentry to electrical skills. The role has given him the necessary experience to progress with his Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Card and he’s looking forward to using his experience as a springboard to take his NVQs, continue expanding his skills and eventually starting his own business.
Speaking about his experience, Simon said: “The construction skills and experience I’ve got here are really valuable, not only are they helping me get the necessary qualifications I need to build my career but they’re also practical skills that are helping me become more self-reliant and save money at home.
“A lot of young people might not see construction as a career path they want to take as it takes time and effort to build the skills you need, but if you’re patient and work hard, it can change your life.”
As well as Simon’s story, Andre and Tariq, students at Barnet and Southgate College are taking part in work placements on the site, balancing the practical experience on-site with their Level 3 electrical installation courses. The two students have been working on the site two days a week, learning new skills and how a busy commercial site works.
As Andre notes, “it’s a great stepping stone to challenge yourself and build a career.” Tariq agreed with this, adding: “I want to be a master in one skill but get experience in everything so I can futureproof my career and the experience here’s been great for that, I can do a bit of everything and it helps you understand where you see your future.”
Since May the Skills Centre has delivered:
- Four successful insulation boot camps
- A "Women into Construction" programme with 15 participants, six of whom have already secured employment
- Hands-on work experience during the centre’s refurbishment for a local care leaver from Barnet Council, and six electrical students from Barnet and Southgate College.
Building on the Skills Centre’s expertise in training skilled workers for the construction industry, the centre has been set up to look to the future of Edgware as Ballymore and Places for London have now submitted their outline planning application for the comprehensive regeneration of The Broadwalk Centre site and neighbouring Transport for London land. The wider plans will see £1.7billion invested in Edgware, adding £80m Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local economy and create more than 1,400 full-time jobs. In advance of the development coming forward, the Skills Centre will equip the next generation of workers with vital skills, particularly across the bult environment and sustainability sectors.
Ballymore and Places for London’s ambitious wider masterplan for the site proposes to deliver 3,365 new homes, including 1,150 affordable homes, and 463 student accommodation spaces. A significant increase in green space for the town centre includes a new Deans Brook Nature Park, which is to be created by unlocking land which has been inaccessible to the public for almost 100 years.
These plans for Edgware are a major contribution to the 20,000 new homes and 50 per cent affordable housing across London that Places for London will be providing.
The launch event for the Skills Centre brought together local politicians, including the leader of Barnet Council, Barry Rawlings, a range of stakeholders, partners, and industry leaders who share The Skill Centre’s vision for empowering local communities.
Attendees had the opportunity to explore the facility, meet the team, and learn more about the innovative and impactful programmes. The event also included presentations from key partners and success stories from individuals who have already benefited from training.
The opening of The Skills Centre Edgware marks its fourth exclusive training centre and 11th delivery location nationwide and is one of four specialist facilities in London, with centres also available in Southwark, Stratford and Earl’s Court. This is the third site that The Skills Centre have provided in partnership with Places for London.
Jon Howlin, CEO of The Skills Centre, said of the new facility: “We’re delighted to be opening the doors to a new training facility for the community in Barnet. Those looking to start or grow a career in construction can find so many opportunities through The Edgware Construction Training Centre, and can develop new skills while meeting with local, recruiting employers.
“Building on the success of The Skills Centre's sites in Stratford, Southwark and Earls Court, the new North London space will specialise in green construction skills and will offer a gateway to the industry that is sorely needed.
“Our ambition is to support a minimum of 300 local residents each year with their career progression and skills development, and we already have training rigs set up in live construction areas that replicate London’s built environment so that anyone learning can hit the ground running once they start work.”
Graeme Craig, Director and Chief Executive Officer at Places for London said: “We are so pleased to be able to support local people learn new skills. We are investing heavily in Edgware to create a whole new town centre and vibrant local economy, and this is a great facility that people can just drop in to and begin their journey with training and job opportunities. Working with the Skills Centre, we are providing training opportunities across London with 8,000 people trained so far, 3,000 people have secured jobs as a result of this training.”
Simon Ryan, Developments Director, Ballymore: "The opening of The Skills Centre is truly worthy of celebration. This facility, and all those who work within it, will have a direct and positive impact on Edgware and its community. Whether that be through training or employment opportunities for local people, or through projects like the planned refurbishment of existing housing stock, which will improve standards of accommodation of council-owned homes in and around Edgware, as well as ensuring they are more energy efficient."
For further details on The Skills Centre Edgware, visit https://theskillscentre.co.uk/.
Visit the centre page to learn more about the training and opportunities available in Edgware.
Learn more
About Places for London:
Places for London is Transport for London’s (TfL) wholly owned commercial property company, which is financed independently of the transport network. It is working to deliver homes and spaces where people feel proud to live, work and spend time in.
Places for London is helping to solve some of the capital’s biggest challenges, including building new affordable housing, delivering new workspaces, and becoming more sustainable, with operating profits from recurring revenues being returned to TfL as a dividend to reinvest into the transport network. Places for London’s approach is focused on partnership and inclusion, taking the role of a long-term steward across its sites.
Places for London also works with more than 1500 businesses in stations, high streets, railway arches and more across the TfL estate and is delivering new, exciting retail opportunities and tenants across the capital. Around 95 per cent of the businesses on the estate are small and medium-sized enterprises.
As part of its wider work to support both London and the wider industry, Places for London has established a construction skills programme, which is helping hundreds of people take their first steps in the construction industry or find new challenges to help move them into the next chapter of their career. Places for London is also working with schools all over the capital to help hundreds of children understand the vast range of roles across the built environment sector and help the next generation understand how they could have a part in shaping London’s ever-changing skyline.
Work has already started on sites across London for more than 3,350 homes, with more than 1000 homes already completed.
About The Skills Centre
The Skills Centre is an employer-led, community-focused training and apprenticeships provider.
Our intent is to transform lives, by bringing local employment opportunities to local people. We do this by bringing together local employers, communities and local authorities to deliver training mapped to local skills demand.
From FREE entry-level construction programmes and specialist skills bootcamps, to NVQs and apprenticeships, we provide pathways to launch and grow a sustainable career in one of the UKs fastest growing industries.
With our partners, we have developed bespoke training facilities on major construction sites around the UK, including 4 in London, 2 in the West Midlands, one on the HS2 development in Northampton and additional delivery spaces in Kent and Essex.
We are a CITB approved training provider who work closely with industry bodies including FIS and Construct to develop future training programmes and improve on existing provisions. Our NVQs are delivered nationally and we have funding available from WMCA, GLA, DfE and CITB.
Get in touch to learn more.
About Ballymore
Ballymore is a leading property developer with a multi award-winning portfolio of some of Europe’s largest and most transformative urban development projects. Our projects are defined by their vision, originality and commitment to quality and we are driven to set new, lasting standards in design, creativity and architecture.
Every place we create has a unique personality inspired by its location, history, people and culture, nurtured through strong relationships with our expert partners and those we develop with local communities.
We enliven areas well before the first foundations are laid and we remain long after the last brick is in place to ensure our customers are well looked after and the communities continue to thrive.
Our landmark developments in the UK span the breadth of Greater London, from our new riverside communities in Royal Wharf, London City Island and Embassy Gardens, where we have transformed underused land into lively new neighbourhoods, over to Brentford where we are reconnecting the High Street with the waterfront and revitalising the town centre.
In Ireland, we develop homes across a number of counties and have established Dublin Landings as a new commercial centre at North Wall Quay. We are also working in partnership with Diageo and CIE to design and deliver mixed-use developments at the Guinness brewery and Connolly Station in Dublin.
Ballymore acquired the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in 2020, and over the last three and a half years has been developing plans for the regeneration of Edgware Town Centre, working alongside its partner, Places for London. Ballymore takes its responsibility as a placemaker seriously, putting quality of life and a connection to arts and culture at the core of its work.
