03 Jun 2026
Rail freight developers SEGRO have funded a new facility at Oaklands College aimed at improving access into the construction industry.
The CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) centre, located on the Smallford campus, provides access to the CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test.
This is a mandatory requirement for obtaining a CSCS card, the UK standard that proves an individual has the training and qualifications needed to work on a construction site.
The card shows that workers understand safe working practices while also giving employers confidence that staff can operate safely and responsibly on site.
The Oaklands facility helps remove barriers to employment by making it easier to gain the qualifications needed to work on site.
The centre will be delivered in partnership with SEGR, as part of its Community Investment Plan, recently launched in the St Albans area to help improve social inclusion and community wellbeing.
Developed in partnership with seven local community and education partners, including Oaklands, the plan aims to support hundreds of local unemployed people by 2028 through targeted skills, training and employment support initiatives. The initiative also focuses on delivering long-term benefits in education, employment and wellbeing, with a strong emphasis on creating pathways into construction and logistics careers.
Oaklands principal and CEO Andrew Slade said: “We’re delighted to partner with SEGRO on this initiative which will directly support our construction students and adult learners in a sector which is important to both our organisations.
“The new CSCS training centre will give more local people access to the essential qualifications they need to work safely and confidently on site, helping them take the next step in their careers and supporting the wider construction sector across our community.”
SEGRO senior director Charles Blake added: “This project is a great example of the wider benefits that development activity such as SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett can bring and what can be achieved when local partners come together with a shared purpose.
“By working with Oaklands College to deliver a new CSCS Centre, we are helping open up access to essential construction qualifications and strengthen the local pipeline of talent for our contractor and supply chain, as well as the wider industry. These are tangible outcomes that will make a real positive difference to people’s lives and we look forward to creating more opportunities for local people interested in building a career in construction.”
Herts county council chairman Cllr Sandy Walkington added: “SEGRO is building this shocking great rail terminal to the south of St Albans, and I will freely admit that I spent my time trying to stop it happening, but in the end it’s a reality and we’ve now got to make sure that we leverage it for the good of our city.
“This is a remarkable example of a business putting their money where their mouth is and making an investment in the community which is going to add long-term lasting value.”
The CSCS Centre will open soon, and enquiries can be sent via https://www.oaklands.ac.uk/training-development/cscs-centre/
