Students from The Skills Centre Southwark training facility are the first in the UK to benefit from training qualifications in zero-emission electric plant, thanks to a partnership with JCB.

The British plant manufacturer brought its innovative electric excavator, the JCB 19C-1E, to the Southwark Construction Skills Centre (SCSC) at the Elephant Park development in South London, to allow students to train on the electric machinery.

The Elephant park site, which is being developed by Lendlease in partnership with Southwark Council, aims to be one of the most sustainable urban regeneration projects in the world and has committed to being ‘Climate Positive’, or net-carbon negative, by the time it is complete by 2025.

John White, General Manager of SCSC, said: “As our development partner Lendlease has committed to the Elephant Park project being climate positive by 2025, The Skills Centre has an important role to promote sustainability across the site and to the local community. To that end, it is a real asset to be able to offer our students the chance to train on the innovative JCB zero emission machine.

“The JCB 19C-1E is an innovative product delivering environmental improvements and it will be invaluable in training local people on the most revolutionary technology. We are thrilled that JCB are working with us to educate the constructors of the future with the most pioneering plant machinery on the market.”

The Southwark Construction Skills Centre (SCSC) has a Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) quality mark, which recognises high quality construction sector employers and trainers in London. The MCA was established by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to train more Londoners with the right skills to take advantage of the boom and job opportunities in the construction sector in the capital.

Charles Stevenson, General Manager of JCB`s London office, said: “JCB is leading the way in clean technology and reducing harmful emissions, especially in urban, air quality sensitive environments such as utility works. We are delighted to be able to support the SCSC in offering the world`s first zero emission plant training course at a facility recognised for its excellence by the Mayor’s Construction Academy.

“With the drive towards lower emissions, the JCB 19C-1E will allow contractors to work inside buildings and in emissions-sensitive inner-city environments. The external noise of the electric excavator is also five times less than its traditional diesel-powered counterpart, allowing contractors to work after hours in urban streets without disturbing residents, as well operating in other noise sensitive environments such as hospitals and schools.”

SCSC was established in 2014 by Southwark Council and Lendlease at Elephant Park to help tackle the construction skills gap across South East London due to the surge in construction projects and developments.

SCSC has trained more than 6000 students in a range of disciplines from post tensioning and formwork to delivering more than 400 apprenticeships, with students gaining jobs on major projects such as HS2, Tideway and Wood Wharf.

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