Wigan and Leigh College has been named as one of only 10 in England to become a 'construction technical excellence college' (TECs), following an announcement today by the Government.
The college will be part of a £100m plan to equip more than 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers with essential skills for the construction industry.
Specialist colleges will be in every region of England to deliver the workforce needed.
The Government says the move will allow the industry to draw on homegrown, British talent in the years to come rather than relying on overseas workers, 'backing the British working class with well-paid, high-skilled job opportunities'.
Following the announcement, Wigan council leader David Molyneux said: "This announcement is fantastic news, naming Wigan and Leigh College as the North West lead and one of only 10 new such colleges across the country.
"We have to enable people to access education, training and opportunities in as many different ways as possible, and I am a passionate advocate for apprenticeships and the doors that they can open. This investment into the future will set people in our area up for success, enabling them to gain skills and get into work in this thriving industry."
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "We need skilled workers to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals that communities across the country are crying out for, and today's announcement underlines our commitment to the next generation of homegrown talent.
"Construction technical excellence colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity in an industry which is essential to delivering growth through our Plan for Change."
The colleges will soon be online to deliver high-quality skills training, announced in the same week that young people across the country get their results in A-levels, T-Levels, and a range of vocational qualifications.
In response, the industry-led Construction Skills Mission Board has pledged to recruit an additional 100,000 construction workers a year by the end of this parliament.
David Hughes, chief executive of the association of colleges, said: "Today's announcement is very positive news for people wanting good jobs, for the construction employers looking for skilled people and for the government's ambitions to build 1.5 million new homes."
Tim Balcon, chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board, said: "It's wonderful to see the progress being made towards establishing these TECs for construction. They represent a transformative opportunity for people to complete local vocational training, helping to drive regional growth and nurture the next generation of skilled construction workers in local communities."
