WLC Announced as Mayor’s Construction Academy Hub

West London College has been named as one of the first Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) Hubs, a quality mark that identifies and recognises high-quality construction skills training in London. The MCA Hubs, which were launched by Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, at City Hall on 25 January, strengthen coordination between construction skills training providers and construction sector employers, and provides capital funding for up-to-date training equipment and premises.

Managing Director at West London College, David Warnes, represented the college at the launch. He said: “We are delighted to be named as one of the first Mayor of London’s Construction Academy Hubs, it is a testament to our staff and our reputation with employers. West London College plays a key role in helping to close the skills gap in the construction industry in London. As part of the MCA Hub, we will be able to work with a wider range of employers and shape our training to better suit their workforce requirements; it will identify house-building employers who are offering job vacancies and/or work placements and on-site experience.”

Each MCA Hub will ensure that trained Londoners can access construction sector vacancies by:

• Improving the supply of skilled construction workers required by the sector and creating more opportunities for Londoners to benefit from the available job opportunities in the construction industry, including more women and black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners.
• Scaling up and extending high-quality provisions and initiatives that are already working well across the capital to train Londoners in the skills needed to enter into and progress in careers in the construction sector.
• Intensifying local collaboration, particularly between small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and construction skills training providers.
• Supporting the development of training provisions for the construction of precision-manufactured housing in London.