Joint partnership sees 1200 people receive training in Wales

Around 1,200 people have received training from the new Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC) – before the hub has even been built at the SA1 waterfront site.

CWIC is delivering training and courses including the scaffolding management course at Coleg Cambria and the heritage plastering course at Coleg y Cymoedd – taught for the first time in Wales.

To date the partnership has delivered over 170 events.

CWIC’s activities have supported 305 Welsh employers through its engagement with Welsh construction industry professionals, operatives and related staff.

As the steel frame of the new centre takes shape in Swansea, the CWIC team celebrated their first year of operating with the partner colleges and invited guests from the construction industry in Wales.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and a consortium led by The University of Wales Trinity Saint David, are working in partnership to deliver (CWIC) state-of-the-art facilities and training for individuals and construction companies, with CITB investing £6.5m. The centre is due to open in autumn 2018 and will see a minimum of 1100 students trained at the SA1 hub each year.

Situated in phase one of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s new £300m SA1 Swansea Waterfront development, the building is being constructed by Kier. It will cover 1,000 square metres of floor space, providing a ConstructZone, classrooms, dedicated IT suites and conference facilities. A dedicated scaffolding training facility will also be sited close by.

Gerald Naylor, director of CWIC, said: “We are not only working quickly & responsively to meet the needs of the construction industry in Wales but also working collaboratively with a number of industry partners on improving employer-education engagement. CWIC is also partnering with other stakeholders in promoting a positive image of the construction industry to potential new entrants”.

Mark Bodger, strategic partnership director for CITB Wales, added: “The Construction Wales Innovation Centre is already having a huge impact on skills and training in Wales. By working with partners, we are delivering world-class training whilst meeting the needs of the construction sector in Wales. A strong pipeline of work is forecast for Wales and CWIC will play a crucial role in ensuring Welsh construction workers have the training and skills they need now and in the future.