LIVERPOOL AND WIRRAL WATERS BRINGS CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES

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Construction and the built environment

Construction and the Built Environment

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If you are interested in in a career in construction, Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters developments will provide construction opportunities for many years to come…

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Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters are among the largest regeneration projects in the UK and are significant development opportunities for the Liverpool City Region. We take a look at the construction opportunities they bring to the region.

Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters

Liverpool Waters is the largest single development opportunity in the city. It will create a sustainable, world-class, mixed-use waterfront. Stretching 2km along the banks of the River Mersey, it will see 20 million sq ft, that’s 60 hectares, of land have businesses and homes built on it. The historic docklands will be given a new lease of life.

Meanwhile, Wirral Waters is set to transform the other side of the Mersey. This development will be constructed in phases. The first projects include building new modern homes and offices at Four Bridges. More modern homes will transform Northbank and a waterside manufacturing, logistics and distribution campus will be built at Mea Park. This will be an industrial hub, home to R&D, administration and manufacturing businesses.

Construction Opportunities

Peel L&P is the regeneration business these ambitious projects. The company has impressive credentials with a strong track record for sustainability, property development and long term regeneration.  Developing Salford Quays and MediaCityUK are just two of their successful projects.

So, what construction opportunities will Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters bring? Both sites are extensive and include both homes and businesses. This means that there are a wide range of construction skills needed. These range from consultants to architects and quantity surveyors through to bricklayers, carpenters, electricians and more. 

The Liverpool Waters Construction Hub

Where are all these skilled people likely to come from?  Peel L&P is helping to build a skills pipeline of talent that can support Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters. They teamed up with The City of Liverpool College to create a ‘Construction Hub’. The Hub is designed to bridge the gap between training and employment in the construction industry. It gives construction employers access to the talent they need. Originally launched in 2019, on Collingwood Dock, the Construction Hub closed during COVID and re-opened in March 2022. It is playing a significant role in training new talent as well as upskilling employer’s existing teams.

Students training at the Construction Hub have the opportunity to work with high-profile contractors such as Laing O’Rourke and Lovell Homes. They can study for a range of qualifications including a Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND). There are also part-time programmes for adults and opportunities to train for an ACS Gas Accreditation.

The Hub is providing future workers for contractors. They are employing work experience students, apprentices and both part-time and full-time workers directly from the Construction Hub.

 “Having this Construction Hub on Collingwood Dock means that a City of Liverpool College facility will be sitting amongst some of the city region’s largest and most ambitious construction projects, each of which will require a talented and eager workforce. There are so many exciting construction projects happening across our city region, so now is the perfect time for our Construction Hub to welcome the future generation of workers, support employers to source the skills they need, as well as to help upskill the existing workforce,” explains Elaine Bowker, City of Liverpool College’s Principle.

Chris Capes, Director of Development at Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters agrees and is keen to see people from across Liverpool City Region benefit from the construction opportunities these significant developments will generate. “Our vision for Liverpool Waters and the regeneration of the city’s waterfront includes creating a lasting economic legacy and maximising opportunities for local people. Along with The City of Liverpool College, we share the objective of training and developing the workforce of the future and ensuring young people from across the region benefit from the regeneration of Liverpool Waters. The range of qualifications and experiences the Construction Hub offers gives the students a real head-start in entering the construction sector, and we are proud to be playing our part in making it happen,” he reveals.

Wirral Met College’s Construction Campus

On the other side of the Mersey, Peel L&P’s partnership with Wirral Met College started with the completion of the Wirral Met College Construction campus in 2015 – the first building to have been delivered by Peel L&P in Wirral Waters – and continues to deliver significant opportunities. The building itself won two RIBA awards and students from the college were involved in its construction. During this latest phase of delivery, Peel L&P have worked with the college and thier main contractors to maximise opportunities for learning, site visits, work experience, apprenticeships, and jobs for the students. Recent engagement as included site visits, remote and on-site learning opportunities, work experience and apprenticeships. 

As the construction begins on other developments – including the £130m Millers Quay development – all Peel L&P’s main contractors will fully engage with the college. This partnership will grow to the benefit of local young people seeking training and job opportunities in construction.  

If you are interested in in a career in construction Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters development will provide construction opportunities for many years to come. There has never been a better time to explore how to upskill or gain qualifications in the construction industry.