A new centre for the National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC) has launched at the National Construction College East London campus at Beckton Park in Newham, to provide hundreds of training opportunities.

The new Construction Plant Training School will help Londoners develop the right skills to continue to help deliver the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games. Further to this, the centres will be delivering tailored skills training for crucial projects including Crossrail and Building Schools for the Future Programmes, providing specialist construction training that is not available anywhere else in the Capital.

The National Skills Academy for Construction Plant Training centre, which was previously located at Eton Manor, will offer 700 training places a year in much sought after Plant Operator occupational areas and a range of Construction Operative skills, at its new home at Beckton Park. It is funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the London Development Agency (LDA), JCB and ConstructionSkills. The centre will be managed by, and training will be delivered through, the National Construction College (NCC), which is Europe’s largest construction training provider.

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The facilities at Beckton Park will increase capacity for training provision in construction, not only in the five Olympic host boroughs, but will extend the offer of courses to residents across the whole of London and help tackle long term levels of unemployment. Beckton Park will play a key role in programmes to deliver lasting legacy benefits from the 2012 Games and support the regeneration of East London, alongside the National Construction College East London campus at Thames House in Newham, another regional training hub which launched in April 2009.

Lord Young of Norwood Green, Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs, said: "The relocation of the National Skills Academy for Construction Plant Training School to Beckton Park is great news. It will increase training provision in construction across the whole of London and help people to improve their skills and their employment prospects. Government is committed to helping people develop the skills and capabilities to find work and build the businesses and industries that will support economic growth."

(CD/GK)