Training pilot success will see 500 people receive upskilling in 2022
A training pilot scheme was so successful that it is being enlarged this year, with the target of training 500 people across Greater Manchester.
Social enterprise, The Blair Project, trained two cohorts last year, comprising 16 adults who received training at The Sharp Project, sponsored by Job Centre Plus.
The programmes focused on training in areas including battery technologies, electric motors, powertrain systems, computer-aided design, 3D printing and sensor technologies.
Subsequently, 10 participants have gone on to careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), with two joining The Blair Project full time.
Now, the project has raised its training targets, with support from the opening of the Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH), located at Bruntwood Sci Tech’s Base at Manchester Science Park.
Set to launch in September, MIAH will provide upskilling, reskilling and retraining of local residents and participants will be fast-tracked into hard-to-fill occupations requiring specialist technical skills as part of Greater Manchester’s post-COVID recovery plan.
Ahead of the launch, Bruntwood SciTech is helping The Blair Project by finding alternative workspace with a UK automotive business.
More partners have also come on board, including the government-funded Emerging Skills Partnership and Warwick Manufacturing Group alongside Job Centre Plus, with further partnerships due to be announced.
Kevin Phung, one of the first adults to participate in the training provided by The Blair Project, said: “After losing my job as a chef due to the pandemic, I felt uncertain about the future. The industry I knew was heavily affected, and I needed to look elsewhere but wasn’t sure where to start.
“I was pointed to The Blair Project by Jobcentre Plus so I applied to train. Over two weeks I learnt so much and discovered a passion for mechanical engineering. After leaving, I joined The Blair Project full-time as an engineering apprentice and haven’t looked back since.”
Nile Henry, CEO and founder of The Blair Project, said: “2022 is set to be an important year for green skills. The training we’re able to provide and the launch of MIAH are going to be incredibly significant for Manchester, filling the region’s green skills gap, developing a highly skilled talent pool and giving businesses what they need to succeed.
“The partnership with Jobcentre Plus has been game-changing for us. We’re pleased to say the 500-strong 2022 cohort will include 300 students from Jobcentre Plus. We will also have three students who trained with us in 2021 delivering training for the new cohorts this year.”
