Construction
Services Specialists
A new engineering and
construction vocational training college in Basildon
will raise the skills of the local people in one of
the most deprived wards in the country and provide
employees for the area’s businesses said George
Kieffer, deputy chair of the East of England
Development Agency (EEDA), at the official opening
this week.
EEDA gave £2.85 million to Prospects College which
has used the money to refurbish the vocational
centre which stands on the site of an old plastics
factory, a third of hectare of brownfield land
reclaimed in the process.
George Kieffer said:
““EEDA is very pleased to see Prospects College
officially open its doors to engineering and
construction students this week at this facility.
The college will kick-start the area’s enterprise
engine and make a huge difference to the residents
and businesses in the Basildon area. It will raise
the skills and aspirations of local people in one of
the most deprived wards in the country and in the
Thames Gateway South Essex area, which is at the
heart of the largest regeneration programme in
Europe.
“The aeronautical engineering training provided is
in high demand from businesses based at Stansted and
Southend airports and this is one of the few centres
in the UK able to offer this training. Expansion of
the facility by Prospects College will allow more
local people to enter into a growing, high value
industry.”
The £5.3 million vocational college was formally
opened by Bill Rammell, Minister at the Department
for Innovation, Universities and Skills and local
MP, Angela Smith, MP for Basildon and East Thurrock
and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime
Minister.
The college aims to assist 450 businesses to improve
performance and offer over 1000 employment support
packages over three years.
Neil Bates, Prospects College, said:
“All the young apprentices who are with us are
employed by local employers, and there are some
major employers supporting the centre. We encourage
the employers to become involved in the day-to-day
activity of the centre, and to support their
apprentices when they come to the college and when
they go to their workplace. The centre is a major
investment for the Prospects Learning Foundation –
we have invested £2.5 million, and we have been
supported by the East of England Development Agency,
which has provided us with an additional £2.8
million. It is now the biggest centre for
construction and engineering in the South East.”
George Kieffer added:
“Basildon Vocational College will make a concrete
start to delivering the vision of creating the
Basildon Enterprise Corridor as one of the region’s
premier business locations as well as serving the
needs of key employment sectors for South Essex. The
college will allow space to be rented for community
and business meetings in an area that otherwise
lacks such facilities.”
Over three years the college aims to raise the
skills of 135 people and ensure that 240 students
gain a Level 2 National Vocational Qualification.
200 apprentices have already signed up. As well as
this 15 jobs have been directly created at Basildon
Vocational College.
Trainees will be provided with relevant skills and
will be supported into jobs. The talent pool will be
widened through supporting Black and Minority Ethnic
(BME) communities and women into construction and
engineering.
It is one of only eight specialist facilities in the
UK for training electricians who work in
environments where there is a risk of explosions.
The range of skills that the college will offer
includes mechanical engineering, bricklaying,
carpentry and joinery, fabrication and welding, and
aircraft maintenance.
Email:
adrianient@eeda.org.uk
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Editor's Note: East of England Development Agency provide:-
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East of England Development Agency - Fund Construction and Engineering Collage
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