Scarborough Construction Skills Village To Reopen Following £2 Million Investment

A former training site in Scarborough is set to be transformed into a specialist construction centre to help tackle workforce shortages on the Yorkshire Coast.

Specialist construction training and apprenticeship opportunities will expand on the Yorkshire Coast following the approval of a multi-million-pound funding package.

A former training site in Scarborough will be transformed into a dedicated Construction and Technical Skills Centre to tackle workforce shortages and support local housing growth.

Up to £2 million from the Local Growth Fund has been green-lit to reopen the Scarborough Construction Skills Village, subject to a full business case and due diligence.

The facility will focus on technical education, adult retraining, and upskilling. Green skills development will also be a priority, with courses covering sustainable construction methods, retrofitting, and low-carbon workforce training.

The move aims to break down transport barriers for coastal and rural communities, offering closer access to specialist provision for young people, adults seeking a career change, and those who are currently economically inactive.

The multi-million-pound funding package was confirmed by regional leaders during a York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority cabinet meeting on Friday.

Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, said:

"We do have ambitious housing targets. We say 60,000 over 10 years, and those skills to deliver on those are absolutely vital. So to see this much needed investment going and supporting people of all ages actually, but especially our young people coming through to be the next generation getting really high quality skills and being able to have those high quality jobs in our region is is brilliant to see. So the opportunity to you know, to have these con construction skills across the patch are are a great opportunity for for for so many people going forward."

The funding forms part of a wider Cradle to Career ambition to give every child and young person the opportunity to thrive from birth through to the workplace.

Mr Skaith added:

"We're going to build 60,000 new homes so we're going to need a lot of brickies, sparkies, joiners, and more. That's why we're creating more opportunities for young people and those wanting to reskill to get into the building trades. Two new construction skills villages are going to create thousands of highly talented tradies to build the homes our county urgently needs."

The original skills village previously closed its doors following a poor Ofsted report, but the new initiative will see the facility taken on and revitalised by York College to meet evolving employer needs.

Councillor Mark Crane said:

"I visited when it was being run, and I was really impressed. And the number of young people who otherwise didn't have opportunities that were there was fantastic.

Ofsted gave it a poor report, which is why it finished. And I'm delighted that York College has taken it on and that we're putting this money in to do this work, because these are exactly the skills that many of our young people need.

Not everybody wants to go to university and have a career set behind a computer screen all day. And some of these young people have got different skills. This is their opportunity and it's a real big opportunity."

The coastal investment is part of a broader £40 million Local Growth Fund awarded during the 2025 Spending Review.

Wider investment across the region includes £1 million for a similar construction training facility in York, and a further £2 million to help existing training providers upgrade facilities and purchase specialist equipment.

This additional funding will target growth sectors such as clean energy, life sciences, sustainable agriculture, and rail innovation.

North Yorkshire Council’s Leader, Councillor Carl Les, said:

"We want to ensure all our communities have the very best opportunities with skills and training available to help them pursue the careers that they want to. This important capital investment in Scarborough will help to deliver fit for purpose facilities to provide those opportunities along the coast and drive forward the economy both locally and across the region. The additional £2 million in funding for skills providers will target training across sectors that show huge potential for growth including clean energy, life sciences, rail innovation and sustainable agriculture."

Scarborough has recently been designated as a Mayoral Development Zone, allowing leaders to align public sector funding and attract private investment to accelerate local regeneration.

An initial £10 million regeneration fund has been established to kickstart development across these key zones, ensuring local labour supply and creating long-term economic benefits for the region.