City of Portsmouth College has been named among further education providers set to receive funding from a £96 million government package designed to increase hands‑on training for the construction industry and create on-site placements for learners.
What the funding will do locally
The money will support the college to deliver practical learning opportunities and improve employability for students starting construction courses. Ministers say the investment is intended to help fill long-standing shortages in the building trades and accelerate housebuilding by increasing the pipeline of qualified workers.
- Funding amount: £96 million across the country.
- Local beneficiary: City of Portsmouth College (share of the package).
- Policy aim: Create tens of thousands of placements on building sites and expand vocational routes alongside A‑levels.
Policy context and national picture
Government figures cited alongside the announcement show the construction sector still faces a substantial shortfall of staff. The Office for National Statistics indicates there are over 35,000 job vacancies in construction nationally, with more than half attributed to a lack of appropriate skills among applicants.
| Figure | Detail |
|---|---|
| £96 million | Total funding announced for placements and skills development |
| 35,000+ | Construction vacancies cited by the ONS |
| 2027–2028 | Timescale for transition to clearer vocational pathways and new subjects |
Vocational qualifications and new subjects
The package accompanies a wider plan to reform post‑16 options so vocational and academic routes sit alongside one another. The plan outlines support for schools and colleges to deliver a clearer suite of qualifications — V Levels, T Levels and A Levels — from 2027, with additional new subjects being introduced from 2028 to meet sector needs.
Among the new subjects announced are courses aimed directly at construction skills, including construction design, bricklaying and plumbing. Ministers portray these measures as central to raising participation in high‑quality apprenticeships and higher training by the age of 25.
“We’re removing the snobbery from hands-on learning and putting it on par with academic to break down barriers for young people to get rewarding jobs,”
The quote above was provided by Skills Minister Jacqui Smith as part of the announcement. Government messaging also referenced the Prime Minister’s recent appeal to pupils that training in a broad range of subjects—from construction to coding and classics—should carry equal respect and provide clear pathways to employment.
Local impact and what to expect next
For Portsmouth, the college funding should mean more on‑site training opportunities for students enrolled in construction programmes, and potentially closer links between local builders and education providers. The explicit aim is to improve the number of learners moving into apprenticeships, higher training or university by 25 — an objective the government says will support housebuilding and broader economic renewal.
City of Portsmouth College and local training partners will need to publish or provide further details on exactly how the college’s share of the funding will be allocated, which courses will expand and where placements will be located. Prospective students and employers in the city should look for forthcoming announcements from the college and the local authority on application and employer engagement processes.
This is a policy-driven response to a recognised skills gap rather than a short-term investment; its success locally will depend on sustained collaboration between education providers, construction firms and government departments.
