A construction academy is set for a major expansion after securing government funding to help train the next generation of skilled workers.
Warwickshire College Group (WCG) has secured nearly £4.8 million in funding to grow the Pershore Construction Academy, using a grant from the Department for Education’s Construction Skills Capacity Fund.
The investment will increase the academy’s training capacity from 67 learners to more than 275, supporting the growing demand for construction skills.
Sara-Jane Watkins, principal and chief executive of WCG, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with this announcement.
“Securing this £4.8 million funding is truly game-changing for our Pershore College campus and allows us to respond aggressively to the considerable growth in construction we are seeing across Wychavon and the wider Worcestershire region.”
The expanded facilities will support infrastructure and housing developments across Worcestershire, including the planned 10,000-home scheme near Worcestershire Parkway Station.
The academy opened at the Pershore campus in September 2025, operating out of repurposed landscaping barns following the consolidation of construction provision from Evesham College.
The academy currently offers full-time foundation training in carpentry, plumbing, and multiskills.
The new funding will enable the introduction of a dedicated apprenticeship centre for all construction trades.
Courses will be expanded to include electrical, painting and decorating, brickwork, and groundworks, alongside advanced routes such as T-Levels and higher education qualifications, including HNCs and HNDs in Construction Management.
Ms Watkins said: “We have been delighted to work alongside our local MPs, Nigel Huddleston and Dame Harriett Baldwin, who have offered fantastic support for this bid.
“We are also incredibly grateful for the collaboration with Wychavon District Council, the team behind the Worcestershire Local Skills Improvement Plan, Worcestershire County Council, and the Local Enterprise Partnership.
“Their shared vision has been instrumental in making this a reality.”
Rather than building new structures, the project will focus on sustainable redevelopment of existing facilities.
A disused 1,300 square metre machine workshop on the Pershore campus will be renovated into a state-of-the-art academy building, while the adjacent Norbury Hostel will be converted into the Pershore Construction Academy Apprenticeship Centre.
For more information and upcoming course enrolments, visit the WCG website.
