Shrewsbury training centre work starts
The wheels are in motion for a new £500,000 automotive and engineering learning centre after building work got under way.
Ground has been broken at the Shrewsbury Colleges Group London Road campus for its Automotive Engineering Training Centre, which is expected to be ready in time for the new academic year in September.
The college applied successfully for £200,000 funding from the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership Skills Infrastructure Capital Development Fund. The college, along with RMT Garage Equipment Ltd, the building partners, is meeting the remainder of the costs.
Oswestry-based RMT is also donating some of the automotive industry’s latest equipment for training students, apprentices and upskilling the region’s automotive technicians.
The training centre comes with three classrooms and a staff room.
Andy Lee, director of employer engagement at the college, said: “As part of our application for funding this project we had to evidence the development of the new centre, and that expansion of our current manufacturing engineering workshops was needed to meet the region’s training needs both now and in the future.
“The project will see more than 700m2 created with the new centre and a further improvement to 400m2 to our existing facilities. Moreover, we have proved this project will enable us to expand and enhance the capacity to deliver accessible and relevant training in the core economic sectors of advanced manufacturing engineering and automotive for the region.
“We will be able to offer more students and businesses the training they need to get ahead in these sectors in emerging areas and technologies, such as electric vehicles, advanced diagnostics, advanced driver assistance systems, master technician, and further develop our MOT and mechanical engineering capacity.”
James Staniforth, principal at Shrewsbury Colleges Group, said: “The additional training we can offer through these facilities will further enhance the engineering and automotive facilities we already have, allow local residents to fill high-value job opportunities.”
