13 March 2008
Great Sankey High School and RAC commence Auto Training
Centre
Great Sankey High School, the RAC, the Northwest Regional
Development Agency (NWDA) and other partners have broken the soil
on a state of the art Automotive Training Centre to be built at the
Cheshire school.
Delegates from the main partner organisations attended a ground
breaking ceremony today, Thursday 13th March 2008, as the start of
building work commences on a centre that will transform the school
and address skills shortages in the region.
The state of the art Automotive Training Centre at Great Sankey
High School will be built in conjunction with the RAC, Warrington
Collegiate and Warrington Borough Council. The centre is funded by
a consortium of partners and is designed to address the automotive
skills shortage at 14-19 and adult.
The NWDA has confirmed £250,000 in funding support for the
centre as part of the Agency’s commitment to help develop the
intermediate and higher skills of the Northwest workforce and
create linkages with local and regional employers.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA said: - “The
Automotive Training Centre will help to boost skills in one of the
regions priority sectors. The Automotive sector in the region has
an annual turnover of £9 billion and is host to 450 automotive
companies, of which 200 are major automotive supply chain
companies. This new centre will help to ensure we have the
workforce with the skills to ensure this sector remains the second
largest in the UK.”
Alan Yates, Head Teacher at Great Sankey High School said:
“Construction of the Auto Skills Training 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.”
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.
Damian O’ Connor, RAC’s head of technical service 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.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
For further information please contact Neil Roscoe, Senior Press
Officer on 01925 400232 or mobile 07980 713282 or neil.roscoe@nwda.co.uk
For further information and to view previous press releases
visit us at www.nwda.co.uk
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the
economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is
responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life