New skills centre opens in Sunderland to futureproof a greener construction workforce

A new skills centre has opened in Sunderland which is helping budding construction professionals get to grips with new skills in a live and exciting environment.

Born out of a collaboration between North-East training provider RE:geon and regeneration specialists RE:GEN Group, the centre is already a hub of activity as they work together to attract and support new professionals to the industry.

From roofing to joinery, loft insulation to plastering, the space will be used to support those wanting to explore a new career path as well as helping a variety of businesses to upskill their workforces in green skills.

Nadia Scott, managing director of RE:geon Training, said: “We’ve created an exciting and dynamic learning environment, with the right mix of classroom and practical spaces to ensure we’re able to bring the construction industry to life.

“Our new centre is set up to meet a diverse range of needs. From supporting unemployed people on fully funded courses to get ‘site ready’ to upskilling businesses so they’re reaching and maximising their potential.

“Our passion for people is fundamental, but we also want to be part of the solution to tackle the green skills agenda and help businesses on their net-zero targets, so the opening of this centre is just another step in being able to support more businesses across the built environment with our core programme, dedicated to this issue.”

RE:geon Training has a solid history of forging strong connections across the North East region, bringing learners and employers together by offering first-rate training solutions and successfully placing people into work.

The team announced last March that they had partnered with regeneration specialist RE:GEN Group.

Nadia continued: “Becoming part of the wider RE:GEN Group has enabled us to perfect some of our training programmes that are helping more people get access to better quality job opportunities within construction. We support RE:GEN to futureproof its own workforce and we’re delivering bespoke training programmes with companies including believe housing, Fortify Solutions, Gentoo Group and Isoler, to name a few.”

Lee Francis, CEO of RE:GEN Group, said: “From the office to on site, the demand for skilled construction professionals is at an all-time high.

“Our partnership with RE:geon was born out of a desire to grow our own, and nurture the next generation of leaders within construction – but our vision didn’t stop there. This only works if we collaborate across the industry.

“As our business grows, we need to be able to support our supply chain partners to grow with us. The opening of the skills centre has come at a key point in our journey to really be able to accelerate and deliver this practical support to everyone we work with.”

With his passion for inspiring the next generation of construction professionals, Lee Francis is building a team to grow a RE:GEN Academy.

With the help of Scott Emmerson, the newly appointed Academy Coach, Lee continued: “I want to do as much as I can to support skills across a wide range of disciplines from trade apprentices to young professionals.

“The RE:GEN Academy will enable real decision makers and blue sky thinkers to emerge from the world of construction.”