PROJECT OVERVIEW

Client: The City of Liverpool College
Location: Liverpool Waterfront

TASK breaks ground on new £1m Clean Energy Technical Excellence Centre with The City of Liverpool College.

TASK Contract Solutions has officially broken ground on a new £1m purpose-built Clean Energy Technical Excellence Centre for The City of Liverpool College at its Construction Academy at Liverpool Waters.

The new centre will create a real-world training environment where students from across the Liverpool City Region can develop practical skills using the latest clean energy technologies, while building clearer routes into future careers across energy, construction and infrastructure.

Almost 250 students studied at the College’s Construction Academy at Liverpool Waters during its opening year, with that number expected to double following the addition of the new centre.

More than a new training facility

For TASK, the project is about more than delivering a new facility. It is an opportunity to bring the technical experience we use across the defence, utilities and energy sectors directly into an education environment, helping ensure the skills being taught reflect the realities of industry.

The development follows The City of Liverpool College’s Clean Energy Technical Excellence designation by the Department for Education earlier this year and is being delivered using capital awarded to the College as part of that designation.

Supporting skills across the Liverpool City Region

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Elaine Bowker, Principal and Chief Executive of The City of Liverpool College said:

“This development embodies everything the college stands for, we are the college for business, a provider of real-life skills for the region’s students, and this development will see world leading technology for Liverpool and the wider city region delivering for the careers of today, tomorrow and beyond. it’s here for students; it’s here for employers and it’s here for the city region.

Here (at Liverpool Waters) it’s as real as it gets, our students will be working to industry standards at height providing them with everything they need to be successful in their future careers, the regions employers will get well trained work ready individuals ready to make an economic contribution to their business”

Part of a wider clean energy ambition

Elaine also praised Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, for his backing of the Liverpool Waters project and the College’s bid to become a Centre of Excellence for Clean Energy.

She added:

“Mayor Steve Rotheram has been leading the way with his dedication to home building programmes and clean energy, thanks to his, his teams and partners like Peel we’re able to deliver on those promises from a skills perspective for the city region we serve.

She added:

“The technologies we will train here form a key part of our countries energy security, it’s imperative as educators we remain at the forefront of the UK Modern Industrial strategy, and this new development is a tangible example of how we intend to do that”

Bringing real-world expertise into the classroom

The centre is being designed as a working energy environment rather than a traditional training facility.

Solar, wind and battery storage technologies will form part of an integrated system that will help power the wider site, giving students the opportunity to understand how different technologies work together in practice.

For TASK, that means bringing our experience of delivering critical infrastructure and renewable energy projects into both the development of the facility and the learning that takes place within it.

TASK’s role in the project

Ian MacVicar, Managing Director of TASK Contract Solutions Ltd said:

“At TASK, delivering critical infrastructure projects is what we do day in day out. We’ve been committed to giving back to the communities of Merseyside since our inception 25 years ago and so the opportunity to build the College a facility that’s real world, with the latest green technologies is aligned to our organisational values. This development is not just one aspect of the clean energy skills needed, it’s a full picture, with design, installation and maintenance all in one purpose-built industry compliant facility”.

Ian added:

“we’ve committed to having one of our staff available on site in an advisory capacity to support the delivery of the curriculum to ensure that this facility delivers the highest standard of real-world skills for real-world, well-paid jobs, and that students are trained in the latest technology for the jobs of today and the future”

Our involvement continues beyond construction

That ongoing involvement is an important part of the project.

Our role will not end when construction does. TASK will continue to support the College in an advisory capacity, helping connect curriculum delivery with current technology, industry standards and the skills employers are looking for.

A building that becomes part of the curriculum

The Construction Academy at Liverpool Waters is overseen by Colin Salmon, Director of Apprenticeships, Sustainable Construction & Higher Technical Education.

He said:

“This is about having a facility where the building is the curriculum, the centre will power the site through solar, wind and battery storage. This is a real-world environment, alongside our homebuilding and workshop facilities, where our students will be faced with situations that they don’t normally face in training environments. It challenges us as educators to be at the forefront of delivering real world skills that help students into employment, and with the support of organisations like Task, we’re well equipped to deliver on that”.

Learning from real systems

That idea: the building becoming part of the curriculum is central to what makes the project different.

Students will not simply learn about individual technologies in isolation. They will be able to see how systems are designed, installed, connected and maintained within an industry-compliant environment.

It creates a direct link between practical education and the kind of challenges students may encounter once they move into employment.

Building skills for what comes next

The transition to new energy technologies is creating changing requirements across construction, infrastructure and engineering.

Meeting that demand requires more than technology. It requires people with the practical skills to design, install, operate and maintain it.

By combining The City of Liverpool College’s education expertise with TASK’s technical and industry experience, the Clean Energy Technical Excellence Centre will help create a stronger connection between training and the opportunities available across the sector.

For us, that is what this project is ultimately about: bringing real industry into education and helping develop the skills needed for real-world, well-paid jobs.

What happens next

Construction of the new centre is due to be completed in September 2026, ready to welcome its first cohort of students from across the Liverpool City Region.

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