The University of Wolverhampton has unveiled multi-million plans to transform the site of a former brewery in the city to create a new hub for construction education.A deal has been agreed by the University to buy the former Springfield Brewery site in Wolverhampton City Centre. The University plans for the site to become the home of the new West Midlands University Technical College (UTC) for Construction, which the University is sponsoring along with the Construction Industry Training Board. The University also has plans to relocate its own School of Architecture and the Built Environment to the site making it a local, regional, national and international centre of excellence.

An agreement to buy the 12 acre brownfield site, which has been vacant since 1991 when the brewery closed, has been reached and the aim is to finalise the  deal in the next few months.

The UTC will provide education for 14-19 year-olds with a special focus on construction skills. Led by the CITB and co-sponsored by the University it will open in September 2015 on a temporary site before moving into the new build at Springfield in September 2016.

Emma said: “As the Shadow Housing Minister and local MP, I am delighted that the University of Wolverhampton and the Construction Industry Training Board are setting up the new West Midlands University Technical College in my constituency. With the University’s relocation of its School of Architecture and Built Environment to the same site, the new development will be a huge boost to the local area. The new College and University School will offer construction training and education and will provide young people fantastic opportunities to follow a career in construction.”

“We are not even building half the number of homes that we need to keep up with demand. The next Labour government is committed to building 200,000 homes a year by 2020. This could create up to 230,000 additional jobs and many of these will be in construction.”

“During the recent global financial crash, the construction industry lost many jobs and workers left the industry to work in other fields and the industry also has an ageing workforce. Earlier this year, I gave a keynote speech about the importance of attracting young people to the industry and offering them training and apprenticeships.”

October 2014