The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology in Bridgnorth has celebrated its first anniversary by calling on employers to back its drive to train more apprentices.
Hundreds of people visited the 36,000 sq ft facility for the occasion and were treated to a tour of the centre. They were shown its new technology, which is worth more than £4m and includes the latest robotics, metrology, CNC machines and 3D printing.
The MCMT is an employer-led consortium of Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering and In-Comm Training.
In addition to Bridgnorth, it operates a state-of-the-art facility in Shrewsbury. It was set-up to help bridge the skills and competency gaps found in local industry, providing apprentices and thousands of upskilling opportunities between now and 2020.
With two of the partners - Salop Design & Technology and In-Comm Training - being members of Made in the Midlands, the centre plays an important role in helping to support skills development in the region.
Many other members are also supportive of the centre and its aims, and many were present for the first anniversary celebrations.
They included: Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Engineering Technology Group (ETG), TSI Packing, Sercal, Staysafe PPE, Efaflex, Metal Processes and patrons My Workwear and FBC Manby Bowdler.
The centre is currently training more than 60 apprentices, who are studying towards their mechatronics, machining, tool making, welding and production operative apprenticeships. Apprentices work either full time for 15 months or else are splitting their time between their employer and the centre.
It has 30 places up for immediate starts and plans on taking another 100 over the next twelve months, providing it gets the support of local companies.
Matt Snelson, Managing Director, MCMT, said: “I am very proud to have watched our apprentices grow and develop over the course of the past year and their development vindicates the decision to go ahead with the opening of the centre.
“But this is only the start of our journey. We have much more planned including investment for new machines and new apprentices.”
Matt Smallwood, General Manager, MCMT, said: “We have to get employers to think about skills. Big manufacturers and engineering companies get it but the macro firms have to see apprenticeships as a long-term investment.”
Chris Greenough, Commercial Director, Salop Design & Engineering, said: “We are proud to be one of the partners associated with the Marches Centre.
“It is playing an important role in the economic growth of Shropshire and the wider region by investing in creating jobs and creating wealth.”
Gareth Jones, Managing Director, In-Comm Training, said: “Everyone involved in the centre should be congratulated for what’s been achieved here. It’s good to see so many stakeholders and collaborators supporting what we are doing. Hopefully we can go on to bigger and better things.”
The first anniversary celebrations also saw certificates presented to some of the first cohort of apprentices to graduate, who were from Grainger & Worrall, Caterpillar, Bridgnorth Aluminium and Made in the Midlands members Filtermist and Torus Technology Group.
For further information, please visit www.mcmt.co.uk or follow @marchescentre on twitter.