A NEW training facility for construction in collaboration with Coleg y Cymoedd has opened in Caerphilly.

The Construction Hub Academy is in Oakdale, just outside of Blackwood, and will provide industry accredited qualifications and short courses in the demolition and groundworks sector.

There has been a growing demand in the need for construction groundworks staff. The courses are available to construction businesses as well as individuals.

Anyone who would like to apply for the courses can contact Coleg y Cymoedd to apply for their chosen course. There will be qualifications and licences in various roles including using excavators, dump trucks, forklifts and other plant machinery associated with building groundworks, cable avoidance training and health and safety certificates. There will also be bespoke training packages tailored to companies individual requirements.

Coleg y Cymoedd’s assistant principal of business services, Matt Tucker, said: “Employment opportunities in the construction sector are continuing to rise and we are pleased to be partnering up with the new Construction Hub Academy to facilitate training in this growing area. We welcome anyone who is thinking about a career in construction, whether they’ve just left school or are thinking of a career switch, to get in touch.”

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Chris Rosser, director of business development at the Construction Hub Academy said: “Despite growing demand for labour in the groundworks sector, there was a real gap in the market for quality training within this field of construction in Wales. This was something we wanted to address with creation of our bespoke training academy.

“The qualifications we will offer at the academy will benefit a range of people, helping equip those who are new to the industry with the qualifications they need to get started, while also enabling existing professionals in the construction sector to learn new skills that will help them to progress and get further ahead in their careers.”

The new facility has created five jobs for training instructors, and a further four jobs will be created in the coming months as the centre looks to fill additional training coordinator and business development roles.

Learners can choose to study at the Construction Hub Academy’s facilities in Oakdale or at Coleg y Cymoedd, where instructors from the academy will deliver training on behalf of the college. Alternatively, construction businesses also have the option for training to be delivered on their own sites if they prefer, with instructors able to travel across South Wales.

Dependent on eligibility criteria, government funding is available to individuals and businesses to cover the costs of training.

Mr Rosser added: “It is important to us to give back to the local community, supporting people to secure sustainable job opportunities and helping businesses to have access to high quality staff with the right skills and training. We want more businesses to be aware that funding is available to cover the cost of upskilling their employees so there is no outlay for them.

“We are particularly keen to support people who have been in long term unemployment and are actively looking to fill our upcoming roles with this consideration in mind. We also hope that our new courses will be a positive option for anyone who is looking to retrain and upskill in light of the pandemic as there are plenty of job opportunities within the construction sector.”

Looking ahead, the Construction Hub Academy has hopes to develop a long-term apprenticeship scheme with Coleg y Cymoedd, where learners will study courses from the academy and gain on site experience.

Anyone interested in studying courses at the academy can find out more at: www.theconstructionhubacademy.co.uk