Training provider opens doors to £3m technical academy
A new £3m technical academy in Telford has opened its doors.
In-Comm Training, which already operates two facilities in the Black Country and Shrewsbury, is looking to train more than 350 apprentices and upskill 2500 existing workers at its T54 centre over the next 12 months.
The provider has created 20,000 sq ft of manufacturing training space, fitting it out with new equipment and state-of-the-art technology, spanning from the latest CNC machines, robotics, fluid power and material testing to welding, electrical, lathes, millers, CAD/CAM and metrology equipment.
A team of 20 expert trainers will be on hand to guide the engineers of the future and to deliver best practice courses.
“We’ve been operating in Shropshire since 2015 and all of our clients have been saying to us that Telford, regarded as the industrial epicentre of the north Marches, has been crying out for a dedicated manufacturing training centre for years,” said Gareth Jones, managing director for In-Comm Training.
“Our approach, being very much employer-led, meant we had to act on this, so we decided to make a £3m investment into taking on the building on T54 and creating a truly world class technical academy for the thousands of manufacturers operating in the town and county.”
He added: “Telford is just a few minutes away from where the first industrial revolution started and industry is going through the next one, with digital transformation firmly on the agenda and a move to more sustainable production high on the list of priorities.
“Companies must act to make sure they have the skills in place to support this transition and this Technical Academy will play an important role in generating the talent of the future.
“Our manufacturers have a major role to play in this and we are using the opening as a rallying call to get more strategic partners involved in how we deliver training in the area.”
Bekki Phillips, COO at In-Comm Training, said: “One of the other differences that separates us from other training providers, is our ability to leverage the expertise and capabilities of an army of technical partners.
“This includes the CNC machining technology of the Engineering Technology Group (ETG), the automation knowledge of Telford-based Bauromat, precision toolmaking of Brandauer, clean air experts Filtermist, energy specialists Schneider Electric and the metrology, measuring and CAD insight of Hexagon and The Torus Group.”
She added: “There’s no escaping the tough economic climate, but, at the same time, local manufacturers have some great opportunities through reshoring and leading the electrification race. Protecting the skills of today and future developing the skills required for tomorrow will be key in turning the potential into reality.
“A strong UK economy needs a buoyant manufacturing sector, and we’ll only achieve this by growing engineering and industrial skills. If we achieve this, our innovative companies will no longer have to worry about gaining access to the talent they need to lead the world.”
James Morgan, In-Comm Training’s apprentice of the year, officially opened the Telford Technical Academy.
Bekki Phillips, In-Comms Training’s COO, Claire Critchell, Business Support at Telford & Wrekin Council, James Morgan, In-Comm’s apprentice of the year (cutting ribbon), Gareth Jones, MD of In-Comm Training, Georgina Barnard, MD of the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology and Kathryn Jones, Head of Partnerships at Marches Local Enterprise Partnership
