Manufacturers' organisation EEF has unveiled its £2m Birmingham training centre aimed at helping bridge the UK skills gap.
The centre, located in the north of the city, has been built to replicate a real-life workplace environment to train future manufacturers and engineers, with 250 apprentices expected to pass through its doors every year.
They will be trained across a variety of skills including milling, CNC machinery, welding and fabrication as EEF looks to push more young people into a career in industry.
Experienced professionals also being catered for with the centre designed to upskill them to meet the changing demands of industry.
Terry Scuoler, chief executive at EEF, said: “Young people are the future of manufacturing – their skills and talents are the lifeblood that allows British businesses to develop and grow. However, this lifeblood is still only trickling through when we need a strong and steady flow.
“This centre is an important step in encouraging youngsters into our sector so that we can start to close the skills gap. But apprenticeships aren’t just a ‘win’ for industry, they’re a ‘win’ for young people too – offering an opportunity to kick-start an exciting and rewarding career in a vibrant and dynamic sector. The more who take up this opportunity, the better it will be for manufacturing and the wider economy.”
The centre has also won backing from local MP and former engineer Khalid Mahmood, who opened the centre.
The MP for Perry Barr constituency of Birmingham said: “This is a fantastic project, and a wonderful opportunity to get young people into engineering. This ambitious initiative is exactly the type of investment in skills this city needs.”
