South Thames College’s 9 green construction labs (funded by LSIF) will deliver training for green construction within the Wandsworth and surrounding boroughs. They will be built during the Summer of 2024 (9 bays in total) for: Solar Thermal, Solar PV, Battery and EV Charging and Air Source Heat pumps.
The approach STC took was to reach out to existing employer contacts – and connect with new ones – to better understand the need and demand for certain courses. We also benefited from good practice via the Central London Forward group, led by New City College, further elaborated in the progress report below.
The appointed suppliers are currently implementing the facility at our Wandsworth site, alongside our existing construction provision including electrical and plumbing. The curriculum teams worked together to understand the employer demand and translate the offer into an attractive proposition for employers, but also one that can cross-reference and utilise the skills across multiple sectors.
The biggest challenge in year 1 were the short timescales expected to secure staff, consult with employers, design curriculum and spend the revenue before March 2024. This proved difficult particularly when it came to upskilling staff who were already committed to CPD a year in advance. We are currently looking at Year 2 delivery, focused on student recruitment and extended employer engagement to ensure we not only meet our KPIs, but extend further to benefit our business network.
