Skills Academy launched in partnership with major employer

A SKILLS Academy designed to train the next generation of engineering and business workers has been launched in partnership by Lakes College and Carr’s Engineering.

The Carr’s Engineering Skills Academy in association with Lakes College has opened its doors at the Bendalls Engineering site in Carlisle as the company changes its approach to its apprenticeship programme.

A purpose-built classroom and shopfloor training facility has been created at the site and fitted with the latest equipment to provide learners with the optimal environment to train.

Lakes College will work with Bendalls to provide apprenticeships up to degree level, as well as courses to upskill or retrain employees.

The academy will also offer opportunities for flexible learning to ensure that the programme can reach as many people as possible.

The development of the Skills Academy is intended to be a cornerstone of Bendalls’ social impact strategy by reducing unemployment, providing training and skills development opportunities and enhancing the local skills base.
Chris Nattress, principal at Lakes College, said: “Here at Lakes we are delighted to work in collaboration with our partners Carr’s to establish and support a fantastic academy for apprenticeships and skills development.

“This partnership and the academy are an example of how industry and colleges can work together and combine strengths to support the engineering talent of the future; talent that employers in our region need to maintain their high-class products and services across a range of markets, supply chains and projects.

“I’m really excited about this development and look forward to seeing our engineering stars shine.”

The Carr’s Engineering Skills Academy in association with Lakes College has been launched to develop a skills base in Cumbria’s engineering supply chain and tackle the skills deficit in areas including fabrication and welding.

Bendalls and Lakes College consider this collaboration a major step forward in training in the county which will benefit the wider community in bringing together industry and academia in the workplace.

The college has an excellent track record of working closely with employers to ensure its offering meets local skills needs, and this latest partnership will strengthen those links between further education and the workplace.

Sean Saunders, managing director at Bendalls Engineering, said: “We have opened the Skills Academy to ensure our apprentices are trained to our expectations, with a level of knowledge that will help them succeed in the engineering sector.

“A skills shortage in specialist manufacturing industries in Carlisle, limited training facilities and upskilling options will allow our academy to open more opportunities for local people of all ages to enter into the engineering arena.”

Growth in the nuclear sector as a result of vital energy, defence and decommissioning programmes has generated momentum which the Skills Academy aims to harness to encourage more young people into industry.

In addition to the apprenticeship programme, the academy will also provide training for a number of young unemployed people who are over normal apprentice age each year, with the aim of taking on some of the participants.

These candidates will be trained and developed through to the end of their chosen trade, helping them into employment by increasing their skills, knowledge and access to opportunities.

An Open Event recently took place and attracted 75 people to take a look around the facilities at the Bendalls Engineering site.