The town of Wisbech’s new Green Skills Academy at the College of West Anglia has officially opened. This has been made possible by £2 million of overall funding from Anglian Water and its alliance partners, including Skanska, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Clancy, Claret, Costain, Danaher & Walsh, Farrans, Jacobs, Kier, M Group, Mott MacDonald Bentley, MWH Treatment, Public Sewer Services and Sweco.
The project also received £2 million of funding from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority’s Recycled Local Growth Fund, alongside £200,000 from the College of West Anglia.
The £4 million training centre officially opened on 23 April, marking a major milestone in efforts to boost green skills and employment opportunities in the town. The Academy provides a vital new hub for local people keen to pursue careers focused on protecting and enhancing the environment.
Based in a new, sustainable building, the Green Skills Academy is powered by solar panels and incorporates rainwater harvesting technology to reduce water use, reflecting the environmental values it promotes.
The Green Skills Academy aims to create a strong pipeline of new talent equipped with highly employable environmental skills. Carbon reduction, biodiversity and conservation skills will be vital in delivering the infrastructure and environmental work needed to build resilience against the growing impacts of climate change.
This is particularly significant for Anglian Water, which will deliver £11 billion of investment across the East of England between 2025 and 2030. To deliver this programme, the company along with the @oneAlliance expects to recruit 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 place Wisbech in the bottom 10% nationally for four of the top eight deprivation indicators.
Often described as the capital of the Fens, Wisbech is home to a quarter of Fenland’s residents. Anglian Water has worked in partnership with Business in the Community (BiTC) since 2013 to help regenerate the town, using a pioneering place-based approach to improve social, economic and environmental prosperity.
The Wisbech Academy complements a wider programme of skills and early careers initiatives across the region. Anglian Water’s alliance partners already work with the College of West Anglia through the Collaborative Skills Programme, giving local people access to apprenticeships with partner organisations.