The Green Skills Academy at the College of West Anglia's Wisbech campus has officially opened, following a £4 million investment to expand environmental training and employment in the area.

Anglian Water and its alliance partners provided £2 million towards the project. Partners include Skanska, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Clancy, Claret, Costain, Danaher & Walsh, Farrans, Jacobs, Kier, M Group, Mott MacDonald Bentley, MWH Treatment, Public Sewer Services and Sweco. A further £2 million came from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority's Recycled Local Growth Fund, with £200,000 contributed by the College of West Anglia.

The centre, which opened on 23 April, will serve as a hub for local people seeking careers focused on protecting and enhancing the environment.

Housed in a sustainable new building, the Academy features solar panels and rainwater harvesting to cut water use, mirroring the environmental principles it teaches.

The Green Skills Academy aims to develop a strong pipeline of talent with sought-after environmental capabilities. Skills in carbon reduction, biodiversity and conservation will be essential to deliver infrastructure and environmental projects that build resilience to climate change.

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This launch aligns with Anglian Water's plans to invest £11 billion across the East of England between 2025 and 2030. To deliver the programme, the company and the @one Alliance expect to hire thousands of new employees, including up to 800 apprentices, many of whom will move into green roles.

Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer at Anglian Water, said: "We've invested £2 million, alongside our alliance partners, to support the new Green Skills Academy. Water is critical to enabling economic growth, so the Green Skills Academy is one crucial way that we're investing in these skills now, to provide a pathway for local people to get involved in really important work that will benefit our region's environment for years to come."

Jon Kiteley, Divisional Director, Skanska UK said: "Equipping people with the skills they need to build careers in renewable energy, water efficiency and environmental technologies is key for the future of the construction industry. That's why we're really pleased to be playing our part in the opening of the new Green Skills Academy at the College of West Anglia's Wisbech campus.

"As a member of Anglian Water's @one Alliance, we're supporting the new Academy and looking forward to seeing the first students benefit from this fantastic new facility.

"It's great news for the East of England region, where we're delivering projects for Anglian Water as well as upgrading essential highways and defence infrastructure."

Once a thriving town, national indices now rank Wisbech in the bottom 10% nationally for four of the top eight deprivation indicators.

Often called the capital of the Fens and home to a quarter of Fenland's residents, Wisbech has been the focus of a partnership between Anglian Water and Business in the Community (BiTC) since 2013, using a place-based approach to improve social, economic and environmental outcomes.

The Wisbech Academy adds to a wider suite of skills and early careers initiatives in the region. Through the Collaborative Skills Programme, Anglian Water's alliance partners already work with the College of West Anglia to provide local people with access to apprenticeships across partner organisations.