CONEL launches Mayor’s Academy Hub to help Londoners get into construction and green careers 

The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) has launched a new Mayor of London Academy Hub to fast-track Londoners into construction and green careers. 

The Green Academy Hub will provide skills training to create jobs and help the capital’s economic recovery from the COVID pandemic. 

Capital City College Group (CCCG), which includes CONEL, secured £250,000 to run the hub after a successful bid to the Mayor’s Academies Programme. 

According to the Construction Skills Network, more than 217,000 new workers will be needed in construction and green industries by 2025. 

The new hub will help meet this demand and support the UK’s target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 with a focus on modern sustainable construction methods, green technologies and the expansion of EV charging points.  

CONEL Vice Principal Robin Hindley said: “London is an everchanging city and there is a huge shortage of highly skilled construction workers across the sector, which has been exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic. 

“The industry needs more people to work in skilled trades across the sector to enable them to meet their contractual commitments. The environment is also high on everyone’s agenda with a need to train people new technologies to ensure the UK meets its targets to cut carbon emissions. 

“Many employers have already given their firm commitment and support to our Green Academy Hub, and now it’s about building on those relationships, establishing courses and providing the industry with a pipeline of highly skilled, well-paid workers.” 

The hub will build on CONEL’s long-standing reputation for providing high quality construction courses including brickwork, plumbing and electrical installations at its centres in Tottenham and Enfield. 

It has been backed by employers and industry bodies including the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Morgan Sindall, Wates, Peabody, Vistry Partnerships, Absolute Solar, Retrofit Works, and the North London Waste Authority. 

There will be a strong emphasis on supporting those from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds including black and ethnic minorities, low earners, single parents, young people, caregivers, the disabled and unemployed. 

Robin said: “We have huge experience in delivering training for this sector with well-established links with employers and a fantastic track record of getting people into work. Being part of CCCG means we also have links more centrally into Islington, Camden, Westminster and surrounding boroughs.” 

“Getting people trained and into work to help companies make profits and support the economy is a big part of it, but ultimately if we can build more sustainable developments and use green technologies to reach net-zero and prevent climate change to have a better quality of life, that will be the biggest win for all of us.” 

The Green Academy Hub is CONEL’s latest commitment to help more people into work, which also includes a new Skills Academy in partnership with Enfield Council and Vistry Partnerships to provide construction training for the £25 million Meridian Water regeneration in Enfield. 

Earlier this year the college launched the London Welding Academy alongside its London Rail Academy in Enfield with the number of welders in the UK having fallen by a quarter in five years. 

CCCG was also successful in winning bids to run hubs in Creative, Digital and Hospitality hubs run by CONEL’s sister college Westminster Kingsway College. The Creative Academy Hub is run in partnership with Film London. 

Find out more about the Green Academy Hub here.

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