Skills Minister opens Construction Skills Hub

13th March 2025 – Tags: Construction, Electrical installation, Plumbing and heating

The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister for Skills, has officially opened the £4.4m Construction Skills Hub at City College Norwich.

The Construction Skills Hub will initially play a key role in training the next generation of electricians and plumbers, two of the trades where there is a pressing demand for skilled workers.

It is envisaged that the skills taught in the new building will change over time. The Construction Skills Hub has been designed for maximum flexibility so that its workshops can be reconfigured for teaching different courses in the future as industry skills needs change.

City College Norwich has seen applications for construction courses starting in September 2025 remain very high, and the new building will help the college to offer as many courses as possible.

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Spacious new plumbing and electrical workshops

The 1,200 m² two-storey building is sited next to the college’s bricklaying and carpentry and joinery workshops on its Ipswich Road campus.

Each floor of the Construction Skills Hub is divided into two large workshops, with the ground-floor workshops dedicated to plumbing training and the first-floor workshops being used for electrical training.

The workshops on each floor are separated by a central room which provides a base for the technicians who support the students’ learning, as well as providing safe storage for specialist plumbing and electrical equipment and for students’ work.

Along the side of each of the workshops, which benefit from plenty of natural light, are 10 bays for practical work, while generously sized work benches are situated in the centre of each room.

Teaching and learning are supported by a large interactive screen at the front of each workshop, making it easy for students to refer to plans and underpinning knowledge whilst carrying out their practical work.

Tackling skills gaps in construction

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

Construction is at the heart of the government’s Plan for Change as a key sector to power economic growth as well as ensuring we meet our homebuilding targets and support people’s aspiration to own their own homes.  

 

The industry is also pivotal to breaking down barriers to opportunity, and it was so gratifying to see this in action at the Construction Skills Hub at City College Norwich, which is giving businesses the workforce they need to power growth in the East of England and across the country.”  

Liv Bradley, Head of Construction, City College Norwich, said:

The Construction Skills Hub is an important and exciting addition to our facilities, increasing our capacity to train students for rewarding careers in an industry that is growing, while helping to address key skills gaps.  

 

Our partners have done an amazing job of turning the vision for the building into reality. In the first few weeks of teaching, we have already seen how the new workshops are extremely well set up for teaching both core trade skills and the wider skills needed for an industry that is constantly evolving. 

 

We continue to work closely with industry to review our curriculum to ensure it aligns with regional skills demands. The flexibility of the space means that we can be responsive to industry and adapt our offer as required.” 

Partners in the building of the Construction Skills Hub

The majority of the £4.4m funding for the Construction Skills Hub has come from the Department for Education’s Post-16 Capacity Fund, with City College Norwich investing approximately £400,000 of its own funds into the project.    

The Construction Skills Hub was designed by LSI Architects and the project was delivered by MJS Projects (lead contractor), Real Consulting, Clancy Consulting, ALH Building Design Services, Norwich Electrical, PJ Plumbing, Mitre Carpentry, East Anglian Brickwork, and iM2 Ltd.

David Henry, Director, MJS Projects, commented:

All at MJS Projects were delighted to work with City College Norwich to deliver the new Construction Skill Hub. The skill shortage in our industry is a highly complex multi-faceted problem. On this project we have pushed engagement with the college with T Level placements and multiple lectures and site visits for both further and higher education students supported by local designers and supply chain. 

 

Through our work with local charity Construction East and on this project we have highlighted the need for industry support to education and we thank the college for the support given through this project to local businesses who then in turn have supported and enhanced the college’s education offering.”