Official opening of The Civil Engineering Skills Academy – Hartlepool

The Civil Engineering Skills Academy – Hartlepool is a partnership between local company Seymour Civil Engineering, Hartlepool College of Further Education and Hartlepool Borough Council.

It aims to address an industry-wide skills shortage through the provision of practical and classroom teaching on an 11-acre “real world” site off Brenda Road.

In the next 12 months alone, it will provide training for up to 1,200 people in disciplines such as plant and machinery, health and safety, rail, groundworks and street works.

The project has received financial support of £2.25 million through the £25m Hartlepool Town Deal and completes the development of academy facilities across two sites, following the opening of a new fabrication and welding facility at Hartlepool College of Further Education last year.

The Brenda Road site was officially opened on 13th March by Mrs Sue Snowdon, HM Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham.

She said: “This is a visionary project which is going to have such a huge impact on the lives of so many people by giving them the skills they need for successful careers in civil engineering and construction.

“I would like to congratulate all parties involved in bringing the project to fruition, it’s an example of partnership working at its finest.”

Councillor Pamela Hargreaves, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Economic Growth and Regeneration Committee, said: “The academy is a fantastic development for Hartlepool and it demonstrates how we are delivering on our ambitious development plans for the borough.

“Alongside multi-million pound physical regeneration projects such as the development of Highlight, our new active wellbeing hub, and the renovation of the iconic Wesley Chapel, this project is an investment in our people and their futures.

“By creating a skilled workforce in this way, we also want to send out a message to companies looking to invest that Hartlepool is open for business.”

According to the latest Construction Skills Network (CSN) report for 2024-2028, the North-East construction sector must recruit an additional 6,850 workers by 2028, equating to 1,370 new workers each year. Since opening its doors in 2020, the academy has played a key role in addressing this skills shortage, with over 830 learners securing employment through its Gateway to Construction training programme, helping to bridge the industry’s skills gap.

Adam Harker, Managing Director of Seymour Civil Engineering, said: “I could not have imagined how far we would come in such a short space of time. Through Hartlepool Town Deal, we have reclaimed and improved 5,000 square metres of construction training land and purchased a new purpose-built modular building containing classrooms, offices and learner welfare facilities which is at the heart of the academy.

“Our partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council and Hartlepool College of Further Education, along with significant Town Deal investment, is a proactive and collaborative steps in creating a new centre of excellence and working towards reshaping our industry’s future.”

Darren Hankey, Chair of the Hartlepool Town Deal Board and Principal of Hartlepool College of Further Education, added: “I am absolutely delighted to see this important project come to fruition. There are some huge opportunities being created across the Tees Valley, including in key emerging sectors such as net zero, and it is important that local people are equipped to make the most of them. The academy has a vital role to play in ensuring that is the case.”