Chesterfield Borough Council, working with its partners has secured National Skills Academy for Construction qualifying status at the Construction Skills Hub by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
This national recognition highlights best practice in local labour processes and positions Chesterfield as a centre of excellence for construction training. It also formalises a new partnership between the council and CITB, ensuring continued collaboration with Chesterfield College, the University of Derby, and the Devonshire Group to expand learning opportunities for local people at the Construction Skills Hub.
The new status provides a formal framework and benchmarks from which to deliver local labour activity and will see contractors, including Stepnell, Vistry and Harron Homes working with the construction skills hub to increase skills and employment outcomes for local people.
A flagship project within the Staveley Town Deal programme the Construction Skills Hub is a sector specific training facility based at the heart of the Devonshire Group development site in Mastin Moor. Over the next decade the Hub will provide careers insights, training and work experience for more than 5,000 learners from school age to adults seeking to re-skill.
The Construction Skills Hub addresses growing skills and recruitment challenges across the construction sector, which have been highlighted in CITB’s latest Industry Outlook Report, that states that in the East Midlands alone, more than 3,000 new workers will be required each year until 2029 to meet increasing demand in housing and infrastructure projects.
The hub is a unique partnership project between Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield College, the University of Derby and the Devonshire Group, and reflects the council’s priority to make Chesterfield a thriving borough and improve the quality of life for local people.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and vice chair of the Skills and Employment Partnership, said: “I’m delighted Chesterfield Borough Council has received this award. As the first council in our region to enter into this positive partnership with the CITB, we are truly leading the way when it comes to providing support for skills development.
“Securing National Skills Academy for Construction qualifying status endorses our approach to creating fantastic opportunities for local people arising from development, not only through training but also by strengthening the local supply chain.
“The work we do has real impact too, at our Construction Skills Hub students are more than three times more likely to go into construction related employment. This means they have the best chance to access a rewarding career and build a bright future in our borough.”
Nathan Wilkins, Customer Engagement Manager for the East Midlands and East of England at Construction Industry Training Board, said: “We’re excited to be working with Chesterfield Borough Council and local partners to bring the National Skills Academy for Construction to the area. This collaboration will create new opportunities for local people to gain high-quality training, apprenticeships and careers, ensuring major developments directly benefit the community. CITB is proud to help strengthen the local workforce and support Chesterfield’s growth for years to come.”
Luke Mantle, Director of School, Construction, Plumbing, Electrical and Automotive at Chesterfield College, said: “Being awarded the status of National Skills Academy for Construction is another huge milestone for our Skills Hub.
“The quality of our training begins with its unique setting - a live construction site, where students gain real-world experience from day one. This hands-on approach is strengthened by the expertise of our industry-leading tutors. They equip students with the practical skills and knowledge employers need to tackle the well-documented skills gap in construction. This initiative continues to go from strength to strength, demonstrating the powerful impact that collaboration between the public sector, private sector, and local community can achieve. Securing NSAfC status will further deepen our partnership with employers, enabling us to support both the recruitment of new talent and the upskilling of existing staff.”
Andrew Byrne, Group Property Development Director at Devonshire Group, said: “The Devonshire Group is delighted to be able to support the Construction Skills Hub and this latest achievement is a credit to the hard work of all the teams involved. Creating great communities is something that is at the core of our values, and we hope to create a lasting legacy for Chesterfield by supporting skills development in the construction sector, for those who will help build communities in the future”.
