Ten years ago, together with Tony Banks, I laid the foundation stone for the new Building Crafts College at Stratford.  Last week, I returned to catch up with progress.

The College was established over 100 years ago in the West End.  Its relocation to a fine modern facility at Stratford was good news for us – even then it was clear there would be a great deal of construction in East London, and that we had to train up many more local people with the skills which were needed.  The College has always been sponsored by the Carpenters Company, the ancient livery company, and the Carpenters Company has owned land at Stratford since the 1600s.  (That is where the name Carpenters Road comes from.)  So it was a good site for the college for that reason too.

The college has expanded with a new wing since I was last there.  Together with a workshop at Anchor House it houses 860 students.  A third are from East London.  Students include school pupils who spend part of their week at the college, apprentices taking time out from their employment and people on evening courses, as well as full time students.

The quality of students’ workmanship is breathtaking – eg in furniture making and stone masonry.  I saw beautiful chairs, tables and cabinets.  Some students train for specialised restoration work at cathedrals, and samples of their work are very impressive.  

94 students from the college are working on the Olympic Park and Village; 39 on the Westfield development.  The college also works with East Homes, the borough’s biggest housing association, and students have worked with an estimated 1,500 tenants. They are also involved in the Canning Town regeneration programme.

Building Crafts College is an exciting place.  I hope it continues to grow in the years ahead.