A skills academy for builders

Jul 4 2007 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

PROPERTY group Spencer Holdings has finalised an industrial letting which will create one of the North West's first purpose-built construction academies.

Spencer, run by founder Jim Spencer, has let 55,608 sq ft of space on the Glebe Park estate to Skelmersdale and Ormskirk College.

The college has taken the space on a 20-year lease and plans to create a facility which will address the skills shortage in the area.

The new construction academy will specialise in the whole range of construction skills including plumbing, plastering and roof tiling.

The college is investing just over £2m in the Glebe Park site to create specialist classrooms, training areas and offices. Work has already begun and should be complete by September.

This is the first part of a £35m investment programme aimed at transforming the college into a centre of excellence for learning and training in the North West.

John Griffiths, director of estates and facilities at the college said: “There has been huge demand for our courses in construction skills and this academy will go a long way to service that demand.

“We chose the site of Glebe Park because of the commitment that Spencer Holdings had already shown to redeveloping the site to a high standard.”

Chris Hughes, director of Spencer Holdings, added: “It’s great to be involved in a scheme which will bring so much benefit to the region.”

tonymcdonough