West Suffolk College has been announced as the new Construction Technical Excellence College for the East of England by the government.
West Suffolk College have been named as one of ten existing Further Education colleges that will be awarded “technical excellence” status in construction and will be training 40,000 people by 2029, giving them skills in areas such as bricklaying, carpentry, electrical installation and plumbing.
The news coincides with a recent upgrade to their state-of-the-art Built Environment campus that will be receiving over £1million worth of investment in the next 18 months and securing £2.75 million in capital funding from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority to establish three new specialist centres, East Cambridgeshire Training Centre in Soham, along with a health science centre close by in Ely, and a micro-construction centre specialising in construction and green tech skills in St Neots.
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These centres are part of a wider initiative to tackle further education cold spots and will support thousands of learners who are currently under served or economically inactive. A major step forward in the College’s mission to ensure that every learner has the opportunity to gain the skills they need to thrive in the modern workforce.
The college – the founding institution of Eastern Education Group, comprised of three outstanding colleges and 6 schools – was delighted to be chosen to lead from the front in relation to this exciting new initiative.
Laraine Moody, Group Principal for University and Professional Development said: “We are delighted to have been named as the Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) for the East of England – one of only ten in the country – and this will allow us to build on our ‘outstanding’ reputation of supporting industry and individuals in this field.”
In December 2024, West Suffolk College was given an outstanding rating – joining its other Eastern Education Group colleges, Abbeygate Sixth Form College and One Sixth Form College, who also have outstanding Ofsted grades).
Laraine continued: “This announcement follows on from the news that we will be opening a new campus in Cambridgeshire to support the need to create more skilled talent in construction. In addition to this – work has already begun on upgrades to our Built Environment Campus in Bury St Edmunds that already supports hundreds of people of all ages on a variety of courses that include apprenticeships – and will also include digital skills and sustainability which are in high demand in the sector.
“In terms of our role in being named as a Construction Technical Excellence College, we can’t wait to continue the work that we have already started in supporting massive infrastructure projects in the East of England – working with industry, other education providers, employer representative bodies and the government – in partnerships that will help create more jobs, build more houses and create the infrastructure required to bolster the economy.
“This is all taking place during our centenary year. Therefore, to be given the opportunity of leading from the front during this landmark year – by representing the region as we become recognised as a hub of excellence for the construction industry – is incredibly exciting.”
In a statement issued by the government in relation to this story, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Construction Technical Excellence Colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity in an industry which is essential to delivering growth through our Plan for Change.”
To find out how you can get involved, in the first instance you can contact phil.stittle@easterneducationgroup.ac.uk
