London’s only dedicated training facility for construction vehicles has opened in Earls Court, providing a gateway to high-quality and well-paid careers for Londoners while helping employers to meet growing demand for workers with green skills.
Opening its doors for the first time during London Climate Action Week, the new Green Plant Academy marks an ambitious industry partnership between Places for London (Transport for London’s wholly owned property company), The Skills Centre and the Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) in collaboration with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Sunbelt Rentals, JCB, L Lynch, the National Open College Network (NOCN) and FM Conway.
The UK construction industry is facing a significant skills shortage, which the new Academy’s focus on sustainable practices will help to address. According to CITB, an additional 251,500 construction workers will be needed by 2028 to meet expected levels of work. With plans for thousands of new homes across London, 50 per cent of which will be affordable, Places for London has identified a specific need for 6,200 plant operatives across the capital by 2027.
Earls Court Green Academy launch 1 -(c) TfL – Luca Marino
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The Academy has been designed to specialise in training on zero-emission equipment, providing career development while also helping the construction industry further transition to cleaner ways of working and ultimately address the climate emergency. It will support emerging green technologies and low-carbon machinery, as well as highlighting best practice across the industry, to help learners and employers prepare for a more sustainable construction sector.
The Academy will provide a whole host of new skills, qualifications and job opportunities for Londoners – particularly among communities in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and the City of Westminster.
Learners will receive fully-funded, industry-recognised training supported by CITB and delivered in partnership with NOCN. This will also help drive progress on the recently published London Growth Plan, which aims to revamp the adult education system with an Inclusive Talent Strategy that will help employers fill skills gaps and unlock new career paths for Londoners.
The Academy, within the Skills Centre, is housed on the site of the masterplan for Earls Court which will see the construction of thousands of homes, retail, cultural spaces and more – connecting three Tube stations and bringing new life to this part of west London.
Laura Miller, Construction Skills Manager at Places for London, said: “We’re delighted to extend our construction skills delivery at Earls Court to establish London’s first construction plant training academy. This industry-leading site will help us train the next generation of operatives who will help build the homes, offices and more that London needs to keep growing. By working with our partners, and focusing on sustainable ways of working, we are building new opportunities for local people and helping transform lives and the industry.”
