Lisburn training centre responds to skills crisis in construction sector

Six months on from its launch, the Develop Training Ltd (DTL) centre at Blaris Industrial Estate – a joint venture with pipe supplier APP – aims to tackle the chronic skills gap that threatens the construction, utilities and energy sectors.

Chris Wall, Sales & Marketing Director of the training company, which operates across the UK, said having a centre in Northern Ireland was crucial.

“Skilled people are in scarce supply in the utilities and construction sectors, so employers can ill afford to send them to centres in England for training,” he explained. “By establishing a base in Lisburn, we are making it possible for them to save time and money, and have those skilled people back on site or in the field as soon as possible.”

He pointed out that the centre also provides courses to train new entrants as a means of tackling two serious issues facing the industry - an ageing workforce and EU workers leaving the country.

DTL is also in discussions with several major employers in Northern Ireland to provide large-scale tailored training programmes to them.

The 2018 training schedule in Lisburn comprises 102 courses ranging from half-day to five-day covering 24 different subjects in four key areas – gas and energy, water and environmental, multi-utility and health, safety and confined spaces.

Qualifications on offer include City & Guilds, the energy and utility sector standard EUSR, street works standard SWQR and DTL’s own certification.

For more information log on to www.developtraining.co.uk