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NPTC Group of Colleges is taking the lead in training future generations to build affordable homes across Wales and beyond.

The forward-thinking College is helping to establish a training academy for young people looking to get a foothold in the construction industry. It is currently working with a number of partners including Sevenoaks Modular, a Neath-based specialist timber frame construction company, which has invested £6.5 Million in acquiring and regenerating a large part of the former Metal Box site in Neath.

As part of the regeneration of the iconic site, situated on the outskirts of the town centre, the building will be renamed the JCG Buildings. Sevenoaks Modular will take over half of the site from Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council who bought the factory in 2019. It will move all its operations to the site once it has been refurbished and will be joined by its sister companies Hale Construction and Hale Homes, both part of the Hale Group.

Between the companies, around 200 people will be based on the site which also includes plans for the training academy. Senior staff from NPTC Group of Colleges invited to sit on a steering group to form the training facility include Wyn Prichard, Director of Construction Skills and strategy at the College.

NPTC Group of Colleges will involve key groups already working with the College, through MOUs and partnerships, to ensure the training offered will be world-class. These partnerships include Sustainability Supply Chain School, MPBA, British Woodworking Federation, FIS Wood Knowledge Wales with others set to join as the programme develops.

Wyn Pritchard said: “We are delighted to have a key partner and lead in modular construction training. Sevenoaks Modular has committed a significant investment to affordable and sustainable housing, and we look forward to working with them to train the next generation of the construction workforce in this exciting field.”

NPTC Group of Colleges