Earlier this year, Kirklees College and Kirklees Council announced an exciting new partnership. The Kirklees Build Project was launched to bring a construction portal and classroom to the college’s Springfield Sixth Form Centre in Dewsbury. The facility opened in September 2024 and the college welcomed its first intake of construction students to its Dewsbury centres in many years.
The next phase of the project will see students from Kirklees College working within a live site environment, Over the coming years, students will be offered real-world experience on various construction projects in and around Dewsbury, including the historic Dewsbury Arcade and other aspects of the Dewsbury Blueprint. The project is being funded by grant money allocated to Dewsbury through the government’s Towns Fund.
Steve Plumstead, Director of Curriculum for Construction, Engineering and Land-Based studies at Kirklees College said:
“We were delighted to welcome our first cohort of construction students to our new training facility at Springfield Sixth Form Centre in September. The facility is working really well, and has allowed students from our Dewsbury catchment area to access training in the construction trades for the first time in many years. We look forward to welcoming more students next year and the next phase of the project, when they will relocate to a live site environment.”
Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration said;
“I’m excited we are working alongside Kirklees College to give students the fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience within Construction.
“It’s well documented that the construction industry has a huge skills shortage so this programme should lead to those finishing having a great opportunity to build a lifelong career within the industry.
“By investing and training the employees of the future we are also helping to address the skills shortage which in turn will positively impact economic growth across the borough.
“Dewsbury is known to have one of the youngest populations in the UK, and our investment within this project will not only contribute to the younger generation’s future but help make Dewsbury a great place to live.
“Working onsite at various Dewsbury Blueprint projects will be a great way for students to learn the ins and outs of a construction role, as well better their chances at securing a job in their chosen field.”
The project has been in development for two years, following significant growth predictions in the sector by leading construction companies. For example, the Construction Industry Training Board has identified need for 225,000 additional roles in the sector between 2023 and 2027. Locally, there has also been a significant gap in provision as there are currently no college training facilities for construction trades in North Kirklees. These factors, combined with a sector-wide push to attract a more diverse workforce and develop specialist net zero training provision, mean that this new facility will significantly boost North Kirklees’ ongoing contribution to the local construction industry.
Applications for construction courses starting in September 2025 at Kirklees College are now open. Apply now at www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/subjects/construction.
