The Southwark Construction Skills Centre (SCSC)’s new facility at Canada Water was officially opened by Southwark CouncillorsKieron Williams and Jason Ochere.
SCSC moved to its new headquarters in Canada Water from nearby Elephant Park, which has been its base for the last five years.During its time at Elephant and Castle, SCSC trained more than 10,000 locals, helped create more than 3,000 construction jobs and contributed around £40 million in social value to the local economy.
Before the official opening, SCSC held a jobs fair and welcomed local residents who are looking for a new job or training opportunities with major contractors including Keltbray, Mace, Wates, Galldris and McAleer & Rushe, who are working on projects locally. SCSC, British Land and Art-Invest, welcomed locals to SCSC’s new home at Hawker House in Canada Water, part of Art-Invest’s Canada Water Dockside site.
The Southwark Construction Skills Centre, which is joint initiative by both Southwark Council and The Skills Centre, is at the heart of major development work within the area and, as a result of this, there are many opportunities to not only learn new skills in construction but to take advantage of the incredible job opportunities within the area.
Jon Howlin, Managing Director of The Skills Centre, which runs SCSC, said of the official opening: “We are so honoured to have Councillor Williams and Ochre here to open our new training centre.
“It has been amazing to work with the Elephant Park community over the years and it is wonderful to be able to do the same here at Canada Water. The response to our first jobs fair has been great and we are looking forward to welcoming many of local people through our doors in the coming weeks and into the new year to start their new careers in construction.”
Cllr Kieron, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “I was delighted to celebrate a new chapter for Southwark Construction Skills Centre bang in the centre of one of London’s largest development sites. We need to make sure our residents have the best opportunities to make the most of the benefits this work brings, especially job creation. I look forward to seeing the centre continuing to build on its brilliant success at supporting residents into training and jobs within the construction industry.”
Cllr Jason Ochere, cabinet member for business, jobs and town centres for Southwark Council, said: “The Construction Skills Centre has been a huge asset for our borough since it first began in 2016. Now it’s set to continue its fantastic work at a new home in Canada Water. There has never been a better time to get work or training in construction and I’d encourage any local resident looking for work or just for a chance to improve their skills, especially young people, to drop into the Skills Centre for a chat with the team.”
Eleanor Wright, Senior Community Executive from British Land said: “Over the next 10-15 years, the Canada Water masterplan will bring new workspace, homes, community facilities and retail to the heart of the area – and we want local people to be part of building this in jobs and careers they love. That’s why we are working with the Southwark Construction Skills Centre and our supply chain to create pathways for local people into careers in construction.
“We’re excited that the centre is formally open its doors to meet and encourage ambitious locals into skills and training courses. Our main contractors working on the first buildings will be there to meet the community and share information about them and the roles they will have available over the next year – and we look forward to meeting alumis on site in the years to come.”
Luka Vukotic, Development Director from Art-Invest Real Estate, said: “We at Art-Invest are delighted to house Southwark Construction Skills Centre on our site. Our approach to regeneration is rooted in strong community engagement that aims to add tangible social value at every stage. We will continue to support great initiatives such as the SCSC ahead of construction commencing, and once fully developed Canada Water Dockside will become a sustainable and vibrant town centre, providing employment for several thousand people, and great amenities for local communities. This will be achieved through delivery of exceptional new workspaces, active public realm, local food offer, shops, a health centre and community facilities. We are very privileged that we can work with the local partners like SCSC, LB Southwark and others to enable us to start our journey in delivering tangible local benefits.”
For more information about The Skills Centre go to www.theskillscentre.co.uk/
