Our Construction Skills Hub has secured National Skills Academy

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 us at 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 working with the Construction Skills Hub to increase skills and employment outcomes for local people.

Luke Mantle, our Director of School for Construction, Plumbing, Electrical and Automotive 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 up-skilling of existing staff.”

This achievement demonstrates the powerful impact of collaboration between the public sector, private sector, and local community. Together, we’re building a stronger future for construction in Chesterfield.