Government hails Marches centre as manufacturing skills exemplar
An advanced manufacturing skills centre in the West Midlands has been identified as an example of best practice by the Government.
The £4m Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT), based in Bridgnorth, is the brainchild of collaborators Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering and training provider In-Comm.
The employer-led facility is aiming to raise skills levels across Shropshire and to provide manufacturers with the skilled workforce they will need in the future.
The 36,000 sq ft centre, which has received £1.9m of Government Growth Deal funding via the Marches LEP, plus financial support from the European Regional Development Fund and Shropshire County Council, has set itself the target of delivering 2,020 graduates by 2020.
This will be achieved through a combination of apprenticeships and specialist training to upskill existing staff.
Growth Minister Jake Berry described the facility as “fantastic” when he visited the premises and heaped praise on the partners for their efforts in getting the venture up and running.
Mr Berry said: “I was delighted to be one of the first to visit the centre to see this remarkable training facility.
“Made possible with government funding, MCMT is a fantastic example of the Marches LEP, local employers and a training provider working together to equip young people with the real life skills they will need to become the engineers of the future.”
Mr Berry received a guided tour of the MCMT, being shown the dedicated fabrication, lathe, metrology, milling, robotics and vehicle trimming sections, plus the specialist CNC Zone with more than £1m of machines donated by Engineering Technology Group.
He also met with the first intake of apprentices to talk about their initial experiences and learn how the centre will help them in their careers.
Matthew Snelson, MCMT managing director, said: “We are doing something completely different here to address a real challenge for our local businesses and the regional economy.
“Four companies have come together and put their money where their collective mouths are and, with the backing of Government and the Marches LEP, we have developed what we believe is a world class training centre that will address both the skills and the competency gaps facing industry.”
Mr Berry is pictured with Matthew Snelson plus apprentices Lauren Ball and Liam Stewart-Inkson.
