Laing O'Rourke, in collaboration with Barnsley College and T3 Training & Development, have opened the UK's first dedicated modern methods of construction (MMC) training facility.

The first of its kind training centre represents a groundbreaking step in addressing the UK's construction skills shortage and modernising the industry.

The new facility, part-funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF), will provide people with the technical and digital skills required to assemble construction and engineering solutions that have been manufactured offsite. This includes giving learners, ‘Trainee Assembly Specialists’, access to the equipment and skills needed to work with large-scale modular components in a safe and controlled environment as they learn how to deliver sections of some of the UK’s largest infrastructure and construction projects.

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It will be the first purpose-built facility to offer a Level 2 Apprenticeship in Construction Assembly installation - approved by The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) in 2019. No other UK facility currently offers this bespoke off-site training, which is key to building faster, safer, and more efficiently.

The UK's construction sector is at a pivotal moment, with more than 250,000 extra construction workers needed by 2028, to deliver the expected levels of work. To meet this demand, the industry must evolve, adopting manufacturing (off-site) and assembly (on-site) approaches to enhance productivity, safety, and environmental performance. This new qualification promises to help overcome the long-standing skills shortage in the sector and bridge the gap between young talent and experience.