New CSCS centre opens at Oaklands College to support local careers in construction

Oaklands College, with support from SEGRO, has officially opened a new centre to help learners and local people gain essential qualifications to work safely in construction.

The centre, located at the St Albans campus, provides access to the CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test. This is a mandatory requirement for obtaining a CSCS card. A CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card is the UK standard that proves that an individual has the training and qualifications needed to work on a construction site.

The card shows that workers understand safe working practices. It also gives employers confidence that staff can operate safely and responsibly on site.

The new facility at Oaklands College supports students and adults looking to enter or progress a career in construction. It helps remove barriers to employment by making it easier to gain the qualifications needed to work on site.

The centre will be delivered in partnership with, and funded by, SEGRO, as part of its Community Investment Plan, recently launched in the St Albans area to help improve social inclusion and community wellbeing. Developed in partnership with seven local community and education partners, including Oaklands College, the plan aims to support hundreds of local unemployed people by 2028 through targeted skills, training and employment support initiatives. The plan focuses on delivering long-term benefits in education, employment and wellbeing, with a strong emphasis on creating pathways into construction and logistics careers.

Andrew Slade, Principal and CEO, Oaklands College said:

“We’re delighted to partner with SEGRO on this initiative which will directly support our construction students and adult learners in a sector which is important to both our organisations. The new CSCS training centre will give more local people access to the essential qualifications they need to work safely and confidently on site, helping them take the next step in their careers and supporting the wider construction sector across our community.”

Charles Blake, Senior Director at SEGRO, added:

“This project is a great example of the wider benefits that development activity such as SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett can bring and what can be achieved when local partners come together with a shared purpose. By working with Oaklands College to deliver a new CSCS Centre, we are helping open up access to essential construction qualifications and strengthen the local pipeline of talent for our contractor and supply chain, as well as the wider industry. These are tangible outcomes that will make a real positive difference to people’s lives and we look forward to creating more opportunities for local people interested in building a career in construction.”