AccXel a future blueprint for plant construction training

Portacabin in a field or a five star hotel like training facility designed for learners and the wider construction community? – Peter Haddock pays a visit to the new £3m state-of-the-art AccXel construction and plant training centre of excellence in Gloucestershire, which is set to reshape the industry. 

Before you walk through the doors of AccXel, you are greeted by a statement that defines what the centre is all about 'Supporting People to Construct the Future' As you enter, you feel like you are in a five-star hotel complete with some muddy boots on the side. 

The building flows into a central café where apprentices, other learners, staff, and the construction industry mingle, sharing experiences and enjoying good food and coffee. As this is not just a training facility, it's a construction hub. By day two, spacious, light rooms to the right of the café are full of learners, and by early evening, these can and were being transformed for one of many events, making it a multifunctional space. 

Turn left at the reception, and you enter more learning spaces with murals on the walls letting you know that this is a rather cool construction environment. At the far end of the corridor, a door opens up to reveal an amazing simulator and technology suite, complete with four Tenstar simulators. 

At the time of my visit, it was the second week of AccXel's first-ever apprenticeship intake, having opened its doors on 5th January 2022. Trainers were showing students how to operate excavators, and one particular station was completely surrounded.

Taking a closer look revealed all of the excitement, as trainer Jamie Williams was busy 'digging to grade' using the Leica Geosystems MC1 machine control console that had been installed and calibrated the week before. 

This is part of a key industry partnership approach by AccXel that has teamed up with not just Leica Geosystems but also JCB through its local dealer Holt JCB. As Founder and Managing Director Nicola Bird explained to me when we spoke about her vision for AccXel: "It all started with the realisation that both our family business KW Bell Group and our supply chain were struggling to attract new people into our respective businesses. 

"This led me to think about how we could tackle this issue and practically bring more people into the industry. So we set up two satellite facilities to train 23 groundwork apprentices in our own bespoke apprenticeship programme. 

"It was a great learning experience that helped us understand how to give individuals a pathway to a career in our sector. But one thing we also recognised was that a portacabin in a muddy field would never attract people in the first place. 

"So we put together an inclusive vision and a business plan to build AccXel, and in October 2020, we were awarded £1.96m by HM Government and GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership via the 'Getting Building Fund'. KW Bell group added a further £1m of investment, and what is now the UK's first co-funded Construction Skills Accelerator Centre was born.  

"A big part of this vision was the creation of industry partnerships and building a great team of like-minded people to deliver training. For our plant training offering, we partnered with JCB and Leica Geosystems to ensure our apprentices and learners have the latest equipment and technology available. We will also use this equipment and the Leica Geosystems technology to help upskill individuals already in the industry. 

"The key to our success is creating a centre that is fit for purpose and a great learning environment. We have designed AccXel to be totally inclusive of learners from all backgrounds and employers who can use the centre themselves for training or customer events. That way, we can bring the construction sector closer together and support employment opportunities for learners and fill the gaps we know exist for employers." 

AccXel is not just about plant training. It's also a facility where groundworkers and bricklayers can learn a trade in the same environment and outdoors in real-world conditions. It was in this new outside area where I caught up with two apprentices and saw the brand new JCB equipment they were learning on. 

Stood next to a JCB 100C-2 excavator, which had been fitted the week before with the Leica Geosystems cab kit to make it 'machine control ready', I spoke to a young apprentice, Corey Burford, that was now in his second week on the course. 

He said: "I saw AccXel being built as I live locally, and I have always wanted to get into construction, so I applied for the apprenticeship. Learning and working on the best equipment gives me the opportunity to start a career in the industry and find employment. We have already started by learning all about Health and Safety and the worksites we will be on in the future, and I am looking forward to the digger training on the new JCB's. 

AccXel is not just for young people like Corey, as I discovered when I spoke to career changer Paul Worsfold who has decided to join the sector. Paul: "I was a bit nervous at making the change, to be honest, but two weeks in, and I know I have made the right decision. You only have to approach the building to see how good it is. The classrooms are great, and the simulators are amazing bits of kit to use. I think all the new equipment really sets you on the right path from the get go. 

"I hope to get my initial experience onsite through this apprenticeship, and with a management background in my previous career, the potential is there for me to move on to a site manager level in the future. For me, it's massively important that AccXel also has links to employers in the region."

With lots going on at the facility, you can really see the pride in both the learners and staff, who have quickly gelled together. There is so much going on at AccXel, and yet it feels like a place where everyone is welcome, and this is because of Nicola and her very practical approach. 

Nicola: "If you spend all your time looking at delivering great buildings and structures and neglect to take the same approach to provide great learning environments, you will never attract the right people for the future. 

"We have proven with AccXel that things can be different when you work with great partners, employers, and people. And this is why I believe our sector needs to take a much bolder step towards building a better training and support infrastructure that is fit for purpose now and tomorrow."

And I agree with Nicola. As we move forward, we need to attract and retain the very best in our industry, supporting them at every step of their career to build a better future for themselves and the businesses they work for. And who wouldn't want to learn in a five star hotel where even the toilets and welfare facilities are impressive!