The aim of the Marches Local Enterprise Project (LEP) is to develop Advanced Manufacturing Hubs to support workforce training in regions where access to high-quality apprentices is limited. Three successful bidders are in the final stages of negotiations.
The largest contract is worth almost £2 million, and is led by a consortium of four local partners: employment specialists Grainger & Worrall, Classic Motor Cars Ltd, Salop Design & Engineering and training specialists In-Comm Training. The group aims to deliver the Marches Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (MIMT), which will provide training in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury with the creation of over 1,900 apprenticeships.
Graham Wyn, chairman of the Marches LEP (third from right) said he was “delighted that manufacturing employers have responded to our call for them to take the lead in developing how the skills of their workforce can be addressed.”
“MIMT is a major step forward for skills provision in the area and gives employers much-needed access to specialist training and state-of-the-art facilities,” added Gareth Jones, managing director of In-Comm Training (second from left). “We want to create an academy that is a focal point locally, regionally and nationally. It’s time that we reshored provision back to Shropshire and gave firms access to the best employee development opportunities on their doorstep.”
The training centres are due to open in 2017, with the Bridgnorth site the first to be developed.
