Housing Innovation & Construction Skills Academy

The Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) is a ground-breaking facility that will educate, train, and upskill local people to build, retrofit and create innovative factory-built homes.

Located in the heart of one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration sites – Riverside Sunderland – the development will see an existing goods shed fully restored and renovated, and connected to an aspirational new building that will be large enough to accommodate a full-sized building, classrooms, and open plan workshops – learning environments that will mirror the challenges of the real world.

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A student at Sunderland College, wearing a hi-vis jacket and hardhat, and working on bricklaying

Gentoo Skills Academy

Soft launched in September 2024, the Gentoo Skills Academy is an innovative partnership that will bridge the gap between education and the world of work. Local pupils aged 14-16 will study towards a specialised construction qualification alongside their GCSEs, supported by Sunderland College and a team of experts from Gentoo.

As well as workshops and training at HICSA, pupils will also experience learning visits to Gentoo construction sites, who will also provide work experience placements.

On completion, academy graduates will be offered guaranteed interviews for a T Level course or an apprenticeship, to prepare them for an exciting career in the industry.