Case Studies: National Skills Academy for Construction

In November 2008 significant steps were taken towards delivering a skills and employment legacy for the 2012 Olympic Games, with the £9.3 billion Olympic Park receiving National Skills Academy for Construction status.

This important milestone saw four major contractors – Sir Robert McAlpine, Carillion

Building, Balfour Beatty Group and ISG – committing to significant targets through one overarching Employment and Skills Plan for the Olympic Park.

The Plan includes commitments across three main skills areas – new entrants, existing construction workers and lifelong learning – and covers a huge variety of training and employment from work experience for young people and apprenticeships to Management and Leadership and Waste Management training.

This followed the announcement in 2008 that two additional Regional Hubs – National Construction College East London in Newham and Cathall Road Construction Training Centre in Waltham Forest – have been approved to deliver specialist construction skills to the Olympics.