JTL, apprenticeship providers in the building services engineering sector, recently welcomed John Healey MP to officially open its new training centre in South Yorkshire.
The charity’s newest training centre located in Wath Upon Derne, will serve as a hub for electrical apprenticeships and training in green technologies. The state-of-the-art facilities are the result of a £2 million investment, highlighting JTL’s commitment to delivering high-quality, learner-focused training, addressing local skills shortages, and supporting the UK’s green skills agenda.
The official opening event was attended by John Healey, MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, who unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and addressed the audience of local employers, industry representatives, apprentices, school students from Wath Academy, careers advisors, and the JTL delivery team about the importance of fostering skills for the future.
The South Yorkshire centre has electrical engineering workshops, classrooms, an End Point Assessment (AM2) preparation workstation, breakout areas, and is set to play a key role in helping the region meet its growing demand for skilled professionals alongside local businesses taking on an apprentice.
Attendees had the opportunity to tour the new centre, meet the first cohort of apprentices, network and learn more about the technical skills being taught, which will include renewable energy systems and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The South Yorkshire Training Centre will be a flagship facility for JTL, contributing to the local economy and equipping future generations with the skills needed to meet the UK’s demand for sustainable homebuilding and energy infrastructure, through a specialist ‘Green Hub’ of training for renewable technologies.
According to the South Yorkshire Trailblazer Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), future skills needs include addressing replacement demand for an ageing workforce and jobs linked to new technology and construction methods and the drive for net zero.
With over £11.8 billion in planned projects for the sub-region – two-thirds (£8 billion) of which will be in the green economy – this includes low-carbon tech, electric vehicles, carbon capture and resilient utilities networks, and will all require highly-skilled electrical engineers.
Across the North East region, where JTL has training centres in South Yorkshire, Hull and York, the industry charity is training approximately 1,800 apprentices in partnership with 1,200 employers.
John Healey MP, who represents the local Rawmarsh and Conisbrough constituency, said in his remarks: “I am delighted that JTL has chosen Wath as the home of its new South Yorkshire training centre for apprentices to learn their trade.
“The centre has already created 17 jobs locally through new tutors, administrators and supervisors and the plans are in place to train almost 100 new electrical apprentices from across the borough with an expansion into plumbing courses in the near future.
“Apprenticeships provide our young people with a valuable pathway into critical sectors, allowing them to earn while they learn and develop the essential skills they need for their careers. Our community is full of skilled talent and we are eager for the next generation to be able to pick up a trade and get on in life.”
Sir John Low, Chair of the JTL Board, said: “The opening of our South Yorkshire Training Centre marks an exciting milestone for JTL as we continue to expand our network of facilities to meet local, regional, and national skills needs.
“This new centre will help to equip young people in the South Yorkshire area with the practical, hands-on experience necessary to succeed in the building services industry, particularly as we move towards a greener economy. We are thrilled to contribute to both the local community and the wider national agenda for skills development and net-zero commitments.”
