South Thames College’s 9 green construction labs (funded by LSIF) officially opened 27 November 2024. This will deliver training for green construction within the Wandsworth and surrounding boroughs. They are built 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 implemented 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.
This proved difficult particularly when it came to upskilling staff who were already committed to CPD a year in advance. Now we are in Year 2 we are focused on student recruitment and extended employer engagement to ensure we not only meet our KPIs but extend further to benefit our business network.
