New construction skills centre to put Sunderland at heart of renewable building boom

A major new building that will develop ultra-modern construction skills in Sunderland is set to progress quickly now a constructor has been appointed to create it

Tolent has been awarded the contract to design and construct the Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA), which will be a world-class training facility providing ‘next generation skills for next generation homes’.

The Academy will support the city’s advanced manufacturing, carbon reduction and renewable energy goals.

Sunderland City Council has appointed the contractor to progress with the £15m building, which will be led by Sunderland College to deliver training that will educate and upskill local people to create innovative factory-built new homes which will be assembled at Riverside Sunderland.

The facility will stand at Sheepfolds and repurpose the existing goods shed on the corner of Hay Street.

It will be operated by Sunderland College with support from education and industry partners including one of the founding partners, the Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (MOBIE), which is led by Washington-born TV architect, George Clark.

The building will be part of Sunderland’s ambitious city centre housing ecosystem, enabling local people to meet the city’s future housing needs, with the skill and expertise to employ modern methods of construction (MMC).

Coun Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “I’m pleased we have appointed a construction partner able to help us drive forward with a development that is of huge significance to the city – a development that will fuel the development of construction skills that will make Sunderland a leader in MMC and retrofit.

When completed, the HICSA will support the building of dozens of eco-friendly homes planned for Riverside Sunderland and the city centre.

The new Academy has been backed by the Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF), announced as part of the last Autumn Budget, with £20m committed to supporting the city’s housing ecosystem, including £9m of support for HICSA.

Tolent CEO Paul Webster said: “We’re delighted to have been appointed to construct this trailblazing academy that will help nurture the next generation of skilled people, who will build homes of the future in Sunderland.

“The talent that emerges from HICSA will no doubt power our own future skills pipeline, so we’re pleased to be playing a part in bringing this important project forward.”

The facility will place Sunderland at the heart of the UK’s net zero ambitions, enabling the city to capitalise on the move towards modern methods of construction and sustainable house-building while helping Sunderland realise its Smart City and Net-Zero Carbon ambitions.

Ellen Thinnesen, chief executive of Sunderland College and Education Partnership North East, said: “I am grateful to Sunderland City Council and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for supporting this vision.

“A significant increase in training provision is needed for all skills and roles across the construction and energy sectors if we are to build homes of the future and support the UK’s low carbon ambitions. HICSA will be a key part of the ecosystem.”