Northampton College secures government funding to transform construction training facilities

Northampton College is set to transform the way it trains the next generation of skilled construction professionals after securing significant government investment to create industry-leading teaching facilities at its Booth Lane campus.

The College has successfully secured funding through the Department for Education’s Construction Skills Capacity Fund, enabling a major programme of refurbishment and development that will provide students with outstanding new workshops, specialist teaching spaces and modern learning environments.

Work is already well underway during the summer break so the first phase of the improvements will be ready for students starting in September.

The investment includes two new Electrical Installation workshops, a dedicated inspection and testing room to prepare students for their End Point Assessment (EPA), a specialist classroom for students studying the T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning, a new workshop for Painting and Decorating and Property Maintenance students and additional classrooms for theory-based learning. 

A new Computer Aided Design (CAD) suite for Higher National Construction students is also being created with support from separate Office for Students funding.

The next phase of the project will see the creation of a covered construction skills area where students will develop practical skills in brickwork, carpentry, roofing and scaffolding in an all-weather environment. Plans also include innovative Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) classrooms that will provide high-quality teaching space while allowing students to gain experience of the techniques increasingly being used across the construction industry. 

The investment has been designed to help meet growing demand for skilled construction workers while ensuring Northampton College continues to provide facilities that reflect modern industry standards and employer expectations.

Jason Lancaster, Principal of Northampton College, said:

“This investment is fantastic news for our students, our staff and the employers we work with across Northamptonshire.

“Construction is one of the fastest-growing sectors in our region and employers need highly skilled people who are ready to make an immediate impact in the workplace. By investing in modern workshops, specialist teaching spaces and facilities that reflect today’s construction industry, we’re giving our students the very best preparation for successful careers.

“These developments will ensure Northampton College remains at the forefront of construction education while helping local businesses develop the skilled workforce they need both now and in the future.”

The funding forms part of the Government’s wider programme to increase capacity for construction skills training, supporting colleges to deliver the workforce needed to meet future housing, infrastructure and economic growth ambitions.

Northampton College already works closely with employers across the construction sector to deliver apprenticeships, T Levels, technical qualifications and higher education programmes, helping learners develop the practical skills businesses are looking for.

The College continues to work with National and Regional Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTECs), supporting central government’s strategic ambitions to create more skilled workers in construction.

The latest investment will further strengthen the College’s reputation as one of the region’s leading providers of construction education and training, with a new series of Skills Bootcamps starting imminently in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council and SIMIAN for scaffolding, entry to construction, green skills and welding for construction.