Transport for London

Nov 30, 2023

Deputy Mayor of London, Jules Pipe, and Hammersmith and Fulham Council Leader, Stephen Cowan, has today cut the ribbon on a new Skills Centre at the Earls Court site. Set up by the Earls Court Development Company (ECDC), Places for London (Transport for London’s property company) and The Skills Centre, the new hub will be the focal point for the extensive talent development opportunities generated by the transformation of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre site. Building on The Skills Centre’s expertise in training skilled workers for the construction industry, the centre has been set up to look to the future of Earls Court and the wider area, supporting individuals across local communities into a range of roles from construction skills in the short term through to climate tech. The Skills Centre will be a key hub for upskilling and education that will contribute to the wider vision to bring the wonder back to Earls Court. Highlighting the scale of the opportunity, which will give access to training for thousands of people over the coming years Rob Heasman, Chief Executive at Earls Court Development Company says: “The Skills Centre enables us to take advantage of the immense opportunity we have here at Earls Court. “From essential skills across construction and the built environment, to the skills we will need to fulfil our ambition to be a hub for clean and climate tech, the Skills Centre will be central to our plan to deliver the transformation of this fantastic site.” Earls Court is central London’s largest cleared development opportunity. ECDC has a vision ‘to bring the wonder back to Earls Court’ with a masterplan that celebrates nature, and fosters a centre of innovation and skills as a new home for climate and clean tech. This cultural ecosystem for developing future talent will be delivered across an inspiring and inclusive neighbourhood of around 4,000 homes with zero carbon operational energy. Rob Heasman continues: “The Earls Court skills centre demonstrates our long-term commitment to the local community, providing future opportunities to Earls Court as part of a strategy which will include plans for supporting creative talent, bringing innovative climate tech to site and establishing a skills pipeline for the whole of London.” Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills said: “It’s a pleasure to open the Earls Court Skills Centre. This new hub will become a one-stop shop for future skills development in Earls Court, with thousands of training opportunities offered. “The Skills Centre will play a vital role in supporting Londoners train in green skills and get into good careers, which is essential as we continue to build a better, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.” Jon Howlin, chief executive of The Skills Centre says: “We are excited to announce the launch of The Skills Centre at Earls Court in collaboration with The Earls Court Development Company and Places for London.”