MCMT Open Days to inspire budding engineers

1 min read

Two Shropshire training centres are throwing open their doors over the next fortnight to help bridge the skills gap in the region.

The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT) is urging local firms looking to recruit apprentices to attend two of the special open days that will take place at its hubs in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury.

The interactive sessions will give local businesses the opportunity to see how they can benefit from apprenticeships and the host of different courses designed to upskill their workforces, while learners will discover how they can boost their careers by accessing training and manufacturing facilities.

Visitors will also be able to tour both facilities, view dedicated CNC zones, explore robotics and metrology technologies and enjoy live demonstrations on some of the latest machines.

Says MCMT managing director Matt Snelson: “We’ve got two fantastic facilities in Shropshire and the best way of selling them is to let people and firms come in and see for themselves what we can offer.

“The Open Days will be split into two. From 9am to 11am, we are targeting companies that are keen to employ apprentices or want to improve the skills of their existing workers. This window will give them the opportunity to meet our Centre Co-ordinators, the trainers and understand how the new trailblazer courses work.”

He continues: “Then from 1pm to 6pm in Bridgnorth and 7pm in Shrewsbury, the centres are open purely for schools, pupils, teachers and learners who are keen to get into a career in engineering and manufacturing.

“We already have apprentices at both centres that are enjoying learning practical and theoretical engineering skills. 30 further places are available now and a further 90 will go live in September.

“By taking the vocational route learners can avoid tuition fees and be up to £100,000 better off at the start of their career as they are earning whilst learning.”

MCMT is a consortium led by Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering and In-Comm Training. In a recent development it has agreed to merge with In-Comm Training Academy in Shrewsbury to create MCMT Shrewsbury as part of a more strategic approach to skills provision in the region.

The Bridgnorth Open Day takes place on 9 February and the Shrewsbury Open Day takes place on 15 February.