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Our new institute will tackle the construction sector skills gap
Bexley Council, Peabody and London South East Colleges are partnering to create a new training and learning centre. Teresa O’Neill explains more
Our first public event last month on the proposal for a unique new Place and Making Institute in Bexley demonstrated growing support for the idea and real excitement at the opportunities it will create.
London’s Living Room at City Hall was packed with people keen to hear more, including developers, education and training providers and key figures from the construction sector.
Our vision is that the new Place and Making Institute will incubate the next generation of placemakers.
A world-leading centre for learning, research, innovation and enterprise, it will offer local, regional, national and international training that brings students together on one site to learn and share all the elements of place and making.
It will promote and enable collaboration between industry and education, to ensure learning meets the needs of employers and learners.
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It will create opportunities for young people to shape the places and communities of the future.
The need for such an offer is clear, with those working to create new communities that work for people facing an increasingly serious skills shortage.
“Not only does the workforce need to grow, but many of the new jobs will require higher-level entry qualifications.”
Mark Farmer, who researched and wrote the Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model, also spoke at the event.
As Mr Farmer’s review earlier this year made clear, not only does the workforce need to grow, but many of the new jobs will require higher-level entry qualifications.
New entrants – and those already employed in the sector – will need the skills to apply emerging technologies.
The Place and Making Institute will be in in Bexley, close to a new Elizabeth Line station and Peabody’s Southmere Village development in Thamesmead, one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects.
It will have a wide catchment area and offer the opportunity to be part of a live project, where learning can be consolidated through directly linked employment opportunities. It will serve not only Bexley but London, the South East and the whole of the UK.
“It will serve the whole of the UK.”
The Place and Making Institute will create a centre of excellence where learners across multiple disciplines and levels of attainment will be able to benefit from a world class offer.
Our first event demonstrated wide support for the Place and Making Institute.
It will only become a reality through the combined passion and effort of learning providers, employers, and public and private sector backers.
Teresa O’Neill, leader, Bexley Council
