Work is now complete on providing nine additional training sections containing £700,000 of equipment. The highlight of this latest development is a new robotics cell with four industrial-scale robots.
Caroline Gumble, chief operating officer at EEF, said: “Our apprentices are the manufacturers and engineers of the future and this investment is about ensuring they learn the valuable skills that future industry will need.
“These skills will not only pave the way for a rewarding long-term career, but are also vital if UK manufacturing is to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by rapidly advancing technology. This will be pivotal in securing Britain’s ongoing role on the global manufacturing stage.”
Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr, Birmingham named Gregory Prentice of HydraForce Hydraulics, Birmingham as Apprentice of the Year at Aston technology training centre’s annual apprentice graduation ceremony held at Villa Park.
Mahmood said: “The commitment demonstrated by this further investment tells me that our region’s proud manufacturing heritage is in very safe hands.
“Manufacturing and engineering are by nature creative, innovative and constantly changing. This investment will keep EEF’s training centre one step ahead, ensuring that it continues to provide our young people with the skills they need for an exciting and sustainable career, and our region’s manufacturers with the skilled workforce they need in order to thrive and grow.”
EEF’s technology training centre in Aston is purpose-built to train the UK’s manufacturers and engineers of the future in world-class facilities replicating a real manufacturing environment. It runs over 40 different technical training courses and trains around 250 apprentices a year in a variety of vital skills including milling, CNC machinery, Mechatronics, Fluid Power, welding and fabrication.
The centre works in partnership with over 80 employers, ensuring that apprentices and other trainees learn how to use the cutting-edge technology and techniques used in manufacturing today.
