Work to construct a world-leading construction skills academy in the North East of England has reached a major milestone.
The Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) at Riverside Sunderland has officially been marked as watertight.
Fit-out works are now underway, with work set to continue over the coming weeks and months ahead of its anticipated opening in the Summer.
Led by Education Partnership North East (EPNE), managed by Sunderland College and built by Sunderland City Council, HICSA is a state-of-the-art education hub designed to train local people in building and upgrading homes using modern construction methods, low-carbon materials and smart and renewable energy technology.
The facility marks a significant step forward in the city’s ambition to support a skilled workforce capable of creating factory-built, eco-friendly homes that meet the demands of a sustainable future, the first of which will be built at Riverside Sunderland.
Cllr Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “This is a significant moment in the development of HICSA, bringing us one step closer to this fantastic facility opening its doors to its first intake of students.
“The academy will not only create opportunities for local people but will also position Sunderland as a centre of excellence for construction, providing the UK with the skilled workforce required to help tackle the nation’s housing shortage.
“Alongside Maker and Faber, Vaux Housing, Culture House, and the Eye Hospital, all of which are under construction nearby, it is yet another world-class facility rising from the ground at Riverside Sunderland, helping us deliver a more prosperous and successful Sunderland for generations to come.”
The transformational facility has been supported by funding from the UK Government, with the aim of ensuring Sunderland is at the forefront of sustainable housing and construction.
Toni Rhodes, deputy CEO of Education Partnership North East, said: “We are delighted to announce that HICSA has been marked as watertight – a major milestone in this exciting development. We are now looking forward to fitting the academy out with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities ahead of its opening in the summer.
“HICSA will provide our students with immersive, industry-standard training in the latest construction skills and techniques and we can’t wait to welcome our first cohort in September.”
Sunderland-headquartered construction company, BRIMS Construction, is leading the construction of HICSA.
Jason Wood, Director at BRIMS Construction, said: “Brims Construction are proud to have been given the opportunity to work with Sunderland City Council on this prestigious project which has such importance to the local area and training of our potential future workforce.
“Progress on site continues to change on a daily basis due to the dedication and hard work of our project team and specialist subcontractors as there are presently over 100 local people working on the project on a daily basis.”
To learn more about the Riverside Sunderland Masterplan and HICSA, visit: https://www.riversidesunderland.com
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98% of our students progress to a positive destination
(*Destination data for Sunderland College students aged 16-18, academic year 2017/18).
Our achievement rates are well above the national average.
We are the College of the Year.
(*Top college nationally for BTECs, Pearson 2019)
100% of our HND and HNC students progressed to employment or further study.
(*Destination data, academic year 2016/17, HNC 19+)
We have recently invested £50 million in our facilities.
