A new centre, in North Liverpool, which will train young people for jobs in the construction industry has been officially opened.
And the opening coincided with the creation of 15 more apprenticeships.
The North Liverpool Construction Training Centre has been developed by the North Liverpool Regeneration Company (NLRCo).
It will target young people aged 16-18 years-90 per cent of them Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) – to support them into employment within the construction industry via funding from the Skills Funding Agency.
NLRCo is a charity and social enterprise which has supported young people across Merseyside into employment, creating 700 jobs and provided support for 250 local businesses.
It has been delivering apprenticeships in construction since 2009, training between 70-120 young people each year and helping them into employment. This has been achieved through relationships with a number of employers including Nobles, David Wilson Homes and Advent.
NLRCo has now converted a warehouse in St Anne Street into a modern-day construction college. It will provide dedicated training facilities, refurbished by the apprentices themselves in plastering, bricklaying and joinery.
It was officially opened by Councillor Nick Small, cabinet member for employment and skills, today (Friday 5 December).
The opening of the centre has been praised by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson. He said: “NLRCo has a fine track record of helping young people into employment and this new training centre will help them provide even greater help.
“It is an exciting initiative which gives those young people who are most in need of support a real chance of getting the skills required to find work in the construction industry. The city needs a skilled workforce and this new centre will play a significant role in delivering that.
“I am also delighted that NLRCo has invested in an area that needs it and has given an old building a new use, a use which will benefit the community and the city.”
Nicola Kelly from North Liverpool Regeneration Company said, “NLRCo are happy to work with Liverpool City Council, in partnership providing much needed apprenticeships and jobs for the most vulnerable and disadvantage youngsters in our city.”
Mayor Anderson also revealed that NLRCo is creating 15 apprenticeships under NLRCo’s new project, NLRCo Green initiative for External Wall Installation. Under the project many households will receive support in reducing utility bills, addressing fuel poverty and it will also improve local communities. The company is accredited under the Government’s Green Deal programme.
Mayor Anderson said: “I am delighted that NLRCo is creating these apprenticeships for the locality and I would like to congratulate them for their initiative. I have set a target of creating 1000 apprenticeships and it is great that some of these will be employed on environmentally-friendly projects like this.”
