Staffordshire supports development of automotive skills with £1m funding injection

STAFFORDSHIRE County Council has supported the county’s burgeoning automotive sector with a £1m funding injection for a new skills and training centre.

The Tamworth Automotive and Engineering Hub provides a broad range courses in automotive skills aimed at teenagers aged 14 and above. From September the hub will be opened up to people of all ages.  

The hub, formerly Torc vocational centre, forms part of the Tamworth campus of South Staffordshire College. The council’s intention is supporting the centre is to provide skills for employers such as JCB and Jaguar Land Rover, together with other automotive firms.

The county council’s £1m injection is being matched by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Powerhouse Central City Deal. The funding will be used to purchase new state-of-the art equipment.

South Staffordshire College already has links with a number of employers in the automotive and engineering sector. It is also working with JLR to support local people in applying for semi-skilled roles at the company. This involves an introduction to engineering programme and a sector-based work academy.

The hubs will also work to further increase the number of apprentices in Staffordshire. The development at Torc will also enable Two Rivers Special School, which shares the site, to expand.
 
Cllr Ben Adams, Staffordshire’s learning and skills leader, said: “The creation of the engineering and automotive hubs and refurbishment at Torc is fantastic news for Tamworth and Staffordshire.

“This really demonstrates our commitment to increasing opportunity through skills development and that in Staffordshire we are seeing effective delivery through close working between councils, education providers and business.”

South Staffordshire College principal Graham Morley added: “The college is delighted to expand the engineering, automotive and construction provision in Tamworth through these two hubs and is committed to working with schools, the local community and business to deliver the skills that employers need.

“The equipment provided will allow state of the art automotive and engineering facilities and training to be made available to learners of all ages in Tamworth.”