A MULTI-million pound engineering centre which promises to train the workforce of the future has been officially opened in Redditch.

A major investment for the town, the 1.5m centre, based in Arrow Road, will increase the number of skilled engineering apprentices not only in Redditch but the entire county.

The centre will train up to 200 young apprentice engineers over the next four years.

It will be run by specialist training provider Midland Group Training Services (MGTS) and provide a dedicated local facility to ensure young people in the area can be trained to provide the engineering skills that local companies desperately require.

Leader of Redditch Borough Council Councillor Bill Hartnett said that supporting and encouraging apprenticeships has been one of his personal priorities.

"Redditch Council is dedicated to providing opportunities for apprentices as we believe we need to invest in the local talent we already have in the borough and beyond," he said.

“This is great news and I am proud that this excellent facility is opening in Redditch.”

It has been made possible thanks to a private and public sector collaboration with MGTS investing £800,000 and both Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP) and Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnerships (GBSLEP) investing £350,000 each through the Government’s Growth Deals.

The North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration (NWedR) team worked with partners on behalf of Redditch Borough Council.

The centre was opened on Monday by Business Minister Margot James, who was joined by dignitaries including Redditch Mayor Joe Baker.

The Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility said: “The opening of the North Worcestershire Engineering Centre of Excellence is a great example of building on local strengths and it was a pleasure to see first-hand just what can be achieved when we place skills at the heart of local industry.”

Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire LEP, said: “We have been able to show the minister more of the impact of our local Growth Deal funding which is enabling us to invest in developing the skills needed for the County’s future workforce and it was pleasing to hear of the minister’s confidence in our plans moving forward.”

Lee Weatherly, from MGTS, said: “It was a privilege to have officially opened the North Worcestershire Engineering Centre of Excellence with Margot James. The minister knows how important skills and apprenticeships are to small businesses and we are all very excited to be able to train the workforce of the future.”