NWDA pledges £1.5m to auto sector training
The Northwest Regional Development Agency is to give the auto sector £1.5m of new funding for training this year.
The funding, revealed by TheBusinessDesk last month, will be shared among the region’s major automotive companies – Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley and Leylands trucks – as well as their suppliers.
It will be used to extend the existing Coaching and Leadership Solutions Project, which helps with the retention and development of skills and the development of higher level skills.
The project also aims to implement product and process innovations or change management, to ensure short-term business survival and position the companies for growth once the economy starts to recover.
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “The government has put in place a multi-billion pound support package for the automotive industry across the UK, which will help vehicle manufacturers, particularly in the long term.
“However, there is still a need for help with immediate issues and the NWDA is doing what it can to help with these short and medium term challenges. The automotive sector in the region is the second largest in the UK, supporting some 43,000 jobs and it is vital to the future growth of our economy. We must do all we can to support it now.”
Jim Sumner, managing director of Leyland Trucks, said: “This is a significant investment in the future of our business at a time when market conditions are very challenging. These engineers and technicians are learning new skills that will enable them to make a significant contribution to improving our manufacturing efficiency and competitiveness. They will also be supporting the development of high technology projects, such as hybrid vehicles.”
