Multi £million skills school could be built near Gloucester Quays

According to the Government the UK needs 250,000 additional construction workers by 2028. Raikes has learned about plans to build a multi-million construction school in the heart of Gloucester.

Dear reader,

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Raikes Journal.

Today we continue what has become something of a theme for the last three stories - discussing the challenges around skills and what is being done here in Gloucestershire to overcome.

On Friday we took a look at how nuclear power could become a major catalyst for growth here in the county, and the demand that would then create in the construction and engineering sectors - admittedly, not bad challenges to have.

And on Monday, with the help of Gloucestershire College, CyNam, North Tower Consulting, CSA Cyber and Cyber First, we looked at the complex situation in the cyber sector - and how much incredible work was being done to give businesses confidence to embrace more entry-level opportunities. Something many think will be the game changer.

Today we’re looking at construction in particular, not by way of one of our usual analysis pieces, but with a more straighforward news story - one which shows how despite a difficult financial climate made more uncertain by the devolution of local Government, one organisation is close to officially unveiling a hugely ambitious multi-million pound plan to supercharge training here in the county.

A decision on how that proceeds takes place tonight (Thursday, 6 February 2025).

You might say that same organisation is the one that started the regeneration of Gloucester Quays - certainly it was the first major organisation to invest there, and it continues to forge strong and effective relationships with businesses, ones that inform its every move. We reveal all below.

Regular readers will know we often paywall the main reads on our Thursday editions and on our full editions on Friday to help pay for what we do. Raikes does not simply turn around press releases and posts lists of stuff, it delivers original journalism to give you original stories about Gloucestershire you will not get anywhere else.

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We hope you enjoy what we do.

Andrew Merrell (editor).

If you have a story, an issue, a news item, a charity or an interview you want us to write about or investigate, challenge the powers that be on, then please email me: andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk.

NB: We believe Raikes now publishes probably the best-read business-related email ‘newsletter’, pound for pound, in Gloucestershire. Readership is growing and 2025 looks good!

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Multi £million skills school could be built near Gloucester Quays

According to the Government the UK needs 250,000 additional construction workers by 2028. Raikes has learned about plans to build a multi-million construction school in the heart of Gloucester.

By Andrew Merrell.

Just three months after a major new £5 million construction school was opened in Cheltenham at Gloucestershire College The Raikes Journal can reveal plans are afoot for to build another, not far from Gloucester Quays.

When the college opened its new school at its Princess Elizabeth Way campus in October 2024, to train the next generation in the trades, the Construction Industry Training Board was already predicting the sector would need an extra 251,500 more workers by 2028.

It was a backdrop acknowledged Matthew Burgess, principal of Gloucestershire College, when he officially opened the facility.

And one which helps explain the demand that has led to the until-now secret project to build another construction school in the county. We reveal who is behind it, the architect involved and where it is below.