Building Work Starts on National Process Manufacturing Training Centre

Phil Black - PII Editor 24/07/2015

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Work has started on Kirklees College’s National Process Manufacturing Training Centre in Huddersfield.

Partners involved in the project including representatives from Kirklees Council, industry professionals and college staff gathered today to mark the start of building work with a ground-breaking ceremony.

Kirklees College principal Peter McCann said: “This is an important development to provide specialist local training for major employers vital to the economy of Kirklees and the Leeds City Region.

“I am extremely grateful for the support the college has received from a wide range of employers such as Syngenta, Nufarm and Kodak, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and Kirklees Council without any of whom we would not have been able to get to this position today.”

An initial project group first started working on the project in 2012, when the need for a process manufacturing training centre for the chemical, pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing industries in the Leeds City Region and beyond was identified.

The initial project group included Nufarm UK Limited, Syngenta, Kirklees College and YCF (Your Connected Future) but support as the project has grown, many more companies have pledged their support.

The project has been awarded £3.1m capital funding from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP). This will be added to funds from local businesses, making around £5m in total.

Roger Marsh, Chair of the LEP said: “This is the first of our skills capital projects to start on site as a result of our Growth Deal funding secured from government. I am delighted so many businesses are supporting this initiative, helping us marry the expertise of industry professionals with the experience and knowledge of our local college.

“We know there is a huge demand for skills in the engineering sector, especially given our prominence as the largest manufacturing centre in the country and this initiative will help equip young people with the skills needed for the future.”

Built next to the college’s engineering centre in Turnbridge Road, Huddersfield, the specialist centre will be based in the heart of the town’s manufacturing area on St Andrew’s Road and Leeds Road.

The centre will see 440 new Apprenticeships and 26 new jobs including construction workers, technicians, teaching and admin staff. It will take 800 additional new learners over a period of four years.

The site will provide a close link between Kirklees College and the companies who will recruit apprentices trained at the facility.

Kirklees College vice principal June Durrant said: “This is such a critical project for economic growth and improving productivity in Kirklees, regionally and beyond, and as such, it has been truly employer-driven.

Companies have worked with us from the outset along with YCF, to ensure that the project meets employer needs; it will train the future generation of employees for the process manufacturing sectors.

“Companies can work with us to shape the training on an on-going basis; training can be individually tailored allowing companies to be competitive on a global scale well into the future.”
Project ‘start-up’ commenced in January 2015 and the centre will be available for training in early 2016.

The progress of the centre will be documented via a web cam at the site and a time lapse video will be produced once building is complete. The web cam can be found at www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/processmanufacturing