Morgan Sindall training facility

Knowledge Quad arrives in Aylesbury to drive upskilling

CIOB partners with Morgan Sindall training facility for local people

A multi-purpose training and

learning facility has been established in Aylesbury as part of Morgan Sindall Construction’s commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates.

The Knowledge Quad is located on the site of Kingsbrook Secondary School – one of the company’s construction projects – with the mission to upskill the region and bridge the gap between theoretical education and practical experience.

Able to accommodate up to 30 trainees at a time, the Knowledge Quad will provide multi-purpose courses for local people that focus on skills, education and employment. These will include training and lessons for college brickwork students, subcontractors on site or individuals looking to reskill and explore new career options.

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business has been working with partners, and invited them to use the facility. These include CIOB, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the CITB, the ABC Assessment Centre, as well as Buckinghamshire College Group.

Kelly Attwood, site manager with Morgan Sindall and a member of the Northampton Hub committee, is leading on the project.

David Rowsell, Northern Home Counties area director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said establishing the region’s first Knowledge Quad has been a great way to add important value to the local community.

“Having this facility on site has meant that we could work with the project’s stakeholders to address a long-term lack of construction skills in the Aylesbury area while offering local residents a pathway into a rewarding career,” he said.

“The impetus to set up this dedicated training facility stems from our commitment to enriching the communities in which we’re operating. Thanks to the proven success of the Knowledge Quad initiative, we will be rolling it out to other projects in the Northern Home Counties area moving forward.” ● Having this facility on site meant we could work with stakeholders to address a long-term lack of construction skills in the Aylesbury area

David Rowsell, Morgan Sindall Construction

The Knowledge Quad is able to accommodate up to 30 trainees at a time

Specialist skills are used in the restoration of Norwich Castle

CEO enjoys visit to Norwich Castle

Caroline Gumble joins local hub’s heritage visit

CIOB chief executive Caroline Gumble joined the Norwich Hub in December on a site visit to look behind the scenes of the ongoing restoration of Norwich Castle.

Led by an expert team from Morgan Sindall and accompanied by a fascinating overview from curator of archaeology Dr Tim Pestell, the visit included discussions about the importance of heritage and conservation knowledge, and how keeping the original fabric of the castle intact – where possible – has been key.

Specialist skills such as stonemasonry have been vital to preserving the original Norman stone that remains at the base of some of the walls.

When completed, the whole building will be completely accessible to all, and visitors will be able to enjoy panoramic views of the city from the roof.

The expert team included Matt Bidewell, Tony Loftus, Adam Glover, Daniel Sherlock, Dr Tim Pestell, Rob Hamilton and Max Briggs. Members of the Norwich Hub committee were Dave Story, Mario Rackham, Richard Varvel and hub chair Kevin Page.