In-Comm Training awarded £ 429,000 funding boost to increase advanced manufacturing skills
EDITOR ’ S CHOICE SKILLS BOOST
WMCA
In-Comm Training awarded £ 429,000 funding boost to increase advanced manufacturing skills
One of the UK ’ s leading independent training providers has secured a £ 429,000 boost for delivering advanced engineering and manufacturing skills .
In-Comm Training , which already supports 865 apprentices and over 2500 learners , has been awarded ‘ Higher Level Skills ’ funding by the West Midlands Combined Authority ( WMCA ) in a bid to help industry bridge the skills and competency gaps .
Accessed via the Training & Manufacturing Group ( TMG ), up to 126 learners in the WMCA area will be able to tap into modularised units for the first time , giving existing workers the most flexible opportunity yet to upskill .
These bespoke courses will be delivered at state-of-the-art technical academies in Aldridge and Telford and gives individuals the opportunity to study specific modules of the Level 3-5 Engineering & Management programmes tailored to ensure job progression and sustainable employment . explained Gareth Jones , Managing Director of In-Comm Training .
“ By adopting a modularised approach for the first time , individuals can train on specific elements of the course rather than the entire qualification . This means they focus on the skills they need most at the time , whilst alleviating workload and time pressures .
“ In our latest In-Comm Training Barometer released this summer , 59 % of companies cited releasing staff as the biggest barrier to investing in training . We heard this message loud and clear and developed a modularised offer that WMCA recognised and agreed to fund .”
He continued : ““ From a business perspective , you are not losing a valuable member of staff for extended periods but , at the same time , you are getting back a higher skilled employee . It ’ s a real win-win .”
The Higher Level Skills funding is available for any existing workers that live in the West Midlands Combined Authority area and looking to embark on Level 3 or higher training in engineering and manufacturing .
There are also opportunities to participate in a modularised and full ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management , essential for developing the next industry leaders in a bid to ease the brain drain we ’ re seeing from ageing workers retiring .
Gareth went on to add : “ We can be creative with how we deploy the funding and , whilst it is learner focused , there are opportunities for us to design bespoke programmes for companies .
This includes project management , maintenance , electrical and fluid power and , thanks to In-Comm ’ s tie-up with Brandauer , learners can also complete a 20-week Level 4 Toolmaking apprenticeship at the UK ’ s first Precision Tooling Academy .
“ This is the flexible type of training we have been looking to deliver for some time and the WMCA funding has now made it possible for skilled engineers to upskill even further ,”
48 PECM Issue 65