A state-of-the-art Automotive Training Centre has been opened at a Warrington school to help develop skills in the area.
Funded with a £250,000 grant from the North West Development Agency the facility was opened at Great Sankey High School by Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Helen Southworth, MP for Warrington South.
Delegates from the main partner organisations, including the RAC, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Warrington Collegiate and Warrington Borough Council, attended a ceremony to mark the opening of the centre, which aims to address skills shortages in the region.
The aim of the centre is to give pupils a head start in the automotive industry through vocational training. It will provide students with the opportunity to gain an Institute of Motor Industry recognised Technical Certificate, which enables them to work towards an Engineering Diploma if they continue with training until the age of 19.
The NWDA provided funding as part of its commitment to help develop intermediate and higher skills of the region’s workforce and create linkages with local and regional employers.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said: “The Northwest is home to over 450 automotive companies, of which 200 are major automotive supply chain companies, with a combined annual turnover of £9 billion. As one of the Northwest’s priority sectors, it is vital that the region’s automotive industry is equipped with the highly skilled employees that it needs for continued growth.
The Automotive Training Centre will address the current skills shortage in the sector at 14-19 level, providing students with relevant and targeted vocational training and creating new career and learning opportunities.”
The RAC will provide an automotive engineering trainer to deliver practical lessons as part of the school’s curriculum, in addition to providing the latest vehicles and equipment.
Alan Yates, Head Teacher at Great Sankey High School, said:“The Automotive Skills Centre signals the start of an exciting collaboration between Great Sankey High School, the RAC and the NWDA. This partnership will provide a blueprint of good practice for the delivery of the new Applied Learning Diplomas, the establishment of sustainable education/industry partnerships as well as the enhancement of the engineering capabilities of the school to a level unsurpassed in the Northwest, if not nationally.
By working together with blue chip companies, Great Sankey High School will contribute to the regional development and growth of careers, skills and opportunities within the automotive engineering sector.”
Damian O’ Connor, the RAC’s Head of Technical Services Delivery, said:“We hope to attract students who would not normally think of applying for jobs in the automotive industry and to demonstrate that the initiative can open up opportunities in a wide variety of automotive engineering roles, such as vehicle systems and manufacturing.
The School will equip students with a broad skill set for the future by offering hands-on training and incorporating new technical subjects – such as electronics and software programming – at an early point in their career development.”
Other partners involved in the initiative include West Cheshire College, Fiord Getrag, Liverpool John Moores University and Connexions.
Picture shows (l to r) Andy Burnham, Helen, Damian O’Connor, Head of Technical RAC Motoring Services and headteacher Alan Yates
