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Schools refurb boost for city's workforce

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Work to refurbish or rebuild every secondary school in Wolverhampton has created or secured jobs for more than 1,100 people, it can be revealed today.

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A quarter of the workforce employed by contractors on the £270 million Building Schools for the Future scheme lives in Wolverhampton, according to city council education chiefs. It means the scheme, which was launched in 2010, has provided jobs for 277 city residents through various contractors.

Most of the rest of the workers live within 15 miles of Wolverhampton.

Today it can be revealed that 10 more schools in the city will begin to have work done in a £56.8m third phase of the project to get under way after Christmas.

The council is set to vote through the plans at a meeting of councillors tonight.

The schools in line for work under the third phase are Aldersley High, New Park Special, North East Wolverhampton Academy, Penn Hall Special, Smestow, St Peter's Collegiate and Wolverhampton Girls' High schools, as well as two pupil referral units – Midpoint Centre and the Orchard Centre –and Westcroft Sports and Vocational College.

Each school will have a different level of refurbishment but a common theme running through the building project is opening up classrooms and providing more opportunities for group work.

There is going to be a focus on the latest computer technology and education chiefs will be making sure staff are trained in how to get the best out of the new facilities.

Councillor Phil Page, who oversees education for Wolverhampton City Council, said: "We kept our £270m programme when other areas had theirs cancelled.

"We want to get work started on the third phase after Christmas.

"We have 277 employees who live at addresses with Wolverhampton postcodes and they make up 25 per cent of the workforce of the contractors."

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