East Coast College launched a brand new training programme today (11 January 2019) that aims to help ignite the energy and engineering industries in East Anglia.
The launch took place at the Lowestoft campus (of East Coast College) at the site where a multi-million pound energy skills centre is currently under construction.
The facility is being created thanks to over £11.3m of investment in a project that is being funded by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund and the college.
The building is set to open in the autumn of 2019 and the programme will offer quality training opportunities to apprentices and higher education students who want to work in the energy, engineering, maritime and offshore sectors.
Commercial customers who want to upskill and develop their staff’s technical and management competencies and qualifications will also be able to sign up to take courses at the state of the art centre.
The region is focussing its ‘energy’ on improving the levels of technical skills for those working in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related industries. Therefore this regional centre of excellence – with national and international specialisms – will support the development of these higher level technical skills and professional expertise, specifically in the energy, engineering, maritime and offshore industries.
Stuart Rimmer, chief executive and principal of East Coast College said: “It is very exciting for us to see how the building is taking shape at our Lowestoft campus and how the construction works are progressing at a pace week by week. This project is extremely important for our region as it will help to provide the necessary technical skills for those sectors which are at the heart of our economic growth. The new facility will be at the forefront of technological developments in a fast-moving sector and I am delighted that we are able to work in partnership with employers to deliver tailored and bespoke courses and we will continue to do so, in order to ensure that we remain ahead of the curve.”
Doug Field, chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I’m delighted to see this project take shape. Our all-energy coastline has a vital role to play in delivering the clean growth the UK needs. But we can’t do that without a highly skilled workforce.
This centre will provide those skills, allowing this fast-evolving sector to continue to grow and add value to our economy.”
Chris Travers is the operations director for Morgan Sindall in the East of England. They are building the new centre. Mr Travers, said: “It’s fantastic to be marking the launch of the East Coast College’s technical training programme, ahead of the building’s completion in the autumn. Our expert project team brings a wealth of skills and experience to this development and as industry professionals, we deeply appreciate the value of first-class training and are delighted to be constructing this outstanding facility. The new centre of excellence will strengthen the region’s capability in energy and engineering and enable the next generation of talent to access outstanding training provision in an inspiring, best-in-class environment – creating a nationally significant asset we can all be proud of.”
