Wolverhampton College boosting skills development across region
City of Wolverhampton College is making a significant contribution to the regeneration of the region by providing first-class training to enable local people to develop the skills and knowledge needed by employers in a range of priority sectors.
The opening of a specialist automotive and engineering training centre, expansion of rail training provision, development of preparation for work courses for job seekers, and construction underway of a new city centre campus is further positioning the college as a leading education provider in the region.
The college's purpose-built £8.1 million Advanced Technology & Automotive Centre opened at the Wellington Road campus, in Bilston, in September and is supporting employers in the automotive and engineering sectors by providing state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities for students and apprentices doing qualifications in these specialisms.
The centre - which completed phase one of City of Wolverhampton Council's City Learning Quarter (CLQ) masterplan - boasts a range of industry-standard training facilities and equipment, including a 12-bay automotive workshop, drive-in electric vehicle lab with simulated training boards, four-wheel laser alignment machine and ADAS and Bosch diagnostic equipment, as well as engineering workshops, fabrication, CAD and welding suites, CNC milling machines, lathes, 3D printers, mechatronic t-rigs and laser cutters.
For employers in the transport and rail sector needing skilled operatives to work on the construction and maintenance of train lines, tram routes and stations, the college has expanded its Transport & Rail Infrastructure Training Academy by opening a new site in Aston, Birmingham.
Working with training partner NIS Group, the college already operates training sites at the Wellington Road campus and the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation, in Dudley, with the new site on Aston's Urban Express Park giving even more people from across the region access to specialist industry training.
To support employers needing staff to work in administration, construction, customer services, digital, early years, health and social care, hospitality, retail and social media roles, the college offers a range of pre-employment programmes to enable people to gain the skills and knowledge needed to apply for jobs in the relevant sectors.
The free short courses are developed in conjunction with employers and cover the skills they require staff to have - with many offering a guaranteed interview for current vacancies on successful completion of the programme.
Furthermore, the college's new £61 million city centre campus - which is currently under construction as part of phase 2 of the CLQ masterplan and due to open in the 2025/26 academic year - and its excellent links to local bus, rail, metro and cycle routes will make it accessible to thousands more people and play a significant part in driving up skill levels across the region.
For more information on courses, qualifications, apprenticeships and support available to employers visit www.wolvcoll.ac.uk
