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Regeneration of neighbourhoods creates jobs, not least in the construction sector. With swathes of Enfield ready for development over the decades ahead – and the largest, Meridian Water promising 5,000 homes and 3,000 jobs – the employment potentital for local people is significant. Opportunity Enfield editor Siobhán Crozier finds the local college well prepared to equip them with the skills to succeed ABOVE: The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London’s investment programme includes the development of its Enfield Centre.
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mployers looking to relocate, expand or estabish a new business, cite the supply of skilled labour as one of the main factors in their decision on where to invest. Enfield is home to major employers, several of whom run apprecticeship schemes to train their workers, in conjunction with local colleges and other training providers. With the common aim of boosting the number of skilled workers, Enfield Council’s regeneration department and the North London Chamber of Commerce signed a pledge in July to “actively support local employment in the area,” specifically in the construction industry. One aim is to ensure that Enfield residents will be equipped with the relevant skills to secure jobs in huge regeneration projects, such as the £1.3 billion Meridian Water development in Edmonton. In July, the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London hosted Enfield’s first jobs and careers fair tailored to the local construction industry. It was held at the college’s Enfield Centre, which is benefiting from an ongoing investment programme totalling around £13 million, to upgrade facilities for training the future labour force. Over 200 young people and adults attended the event to find out about more than 50 apprenticeship vacancies, including construction and related industries. The college has long established relationships with local employers, delivering vocational qualifications and training
to companies in the construction and building services sectors. They include Mulalley, Ardmore, United House and Lee Valley Estates, the developer of the £450 million Hale Village scheme at Tottenham Hale. Training in construction skills has been offered at the college’s Enfield Centre since 2010, with the range and level of qualifications expanding every year. Further development is under way on a new link building and includes the refurbishment of one of the main buildings on Hertford Road in Ponders End. The project will create 13 additional classrooms, state-of-the-art facilities and a more welcoming environment. College governors approved the £5 million project, following a successful application to the Skills Funding Agency for £1.1 million. Work will be completed during autumn 2013. Principal and chief executive, Paul Head, said: “This investment by the Skills Funding Agency will allow us to create a more welcoming and modern environment for our students and help us to equip them with the skills they need to develop a career. “When we surveyed employers last year, 100% of our construction employers were satisfied with the training delivered. We work with employers to get the right workforce skills to ensure they will be better positioned to be competitive and profitable.”
TRAINING
SKILLED TO BUILD