University appoints constructor for new skills hub

The University of Wolverhampton has appointed Aspect Construction to build its Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills Hub at the former Springfield Brewery in the city.

The landmark occasion, which coincided with the start of National Apprenticeship Week, was marked by a ground breaking ceremony at the site where the building works are due to take place.

The university has high hopes for the new ECMS hub and its spokes, which are set to provide class-leading training facilities and will support degree level apprenticeships.

The facility will also focus on upskilling to support and help business growth by providing transferrable skills to other sectors in the Black Country, as well as the rest of the UK and internationally.

The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership approved £8.04m funding for the ECMS project, which will also see training being delivered in Tipton, Dudley, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.

Professor Ian Oakes, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “We are committed to the regeneration of Wolverhampton and this ceremony marks the next stage of our ambitious plans to re-develop this historic site – helping to boost the economy and create jobs.

“The Black Country LEP has been instrumental in ensuring the project will deliver an employer-led training provision that doesn’t currently exist in the region, designed to improve productivity and growth in the high value manufacturing (HVM) sector.”

Cllr Claire Darke, Wolverhampton cabinet member for education, said: “This is another major milestone towards creating a European-leading Built Environment education campus in Wolverhampton.

“This historic site, which has been vacant for over a quarter of a century, is being brought back to life by the university, and is part of the multi-billion-pound investment by the public and private sectors in our city.”

She said there was little doubt the ECMS, alongside the UTC and the relocated School of Architecture and Built Environment would help raise the bar when it came to skills development in the city.

Wesley Allmark, construction director at Aspect Construction, said: “The ECMS Hub is an exciting project to be working on with University of Wolverhampton. ”

He said with the support of its specialist heritage supply chain, the company would restore the historic building back to its former glory.

Led by the University of Wolverhampton, the ECMS brings together collaborators from the high value manufacturing (HVM) sector, business partners and education providers including Dudley College, the Confederation of British Metalforming, Cast Metals Federation, the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers and Thomas Dudley.

The various partners are investing an additional £4.15m, bringing the total project value to £12.19m.

Work on the hub is expected to complete this autumn.

Pictured from left: Geraldine Bolton (CBM), Kevin Kirk (CBM), Professor Ian Oakes (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton), Colin Parker (Black Country Consortium), Pam Murrell (Cast Metals Federation), Councillor Claire Darke (Cabinet Member for Education at the City of Wolverhampton Council) and Ian Fitzpatrick (Chief Executive of the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills).

•    Look out for our forthcoming event focusing on the development of skills in the Black Country. Registration will open shortly.