£5m of Local Growth Fund has been secured to launch the MIRA Enterprise Zone Skills Centre

A training facility that would prepare 500 people a year to fill transportation R&D sector jobs has been backed by the government’s Local Growth Fund.

The MIRA Enterprise Zone Skills Centre, which is to be based at MIRA Technology Park, will address future skills needs for tenants based at both MIRA itself and the 1.75 million sq. ft. Technology Park, which is due for completion in 2021.

The MIRA Enterprise Zone Skills Centre, which will receive £5m of Government funding, is a unique and ground breaking collaboration between North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, MIRA Academy, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University.

The Skills Centre is one of 10 projects set to receive a share of £28m across the region, following a successful bid by the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) earlier this year.

Marion Plant OBE, chief executive of North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, said:

“The MIRA Enterprise Zone Skills Centre will provide the advantage of provision of accredited training at all levels, with the input of transport sector technology experts and facilities, in a world-class commercial engineering environment.

“The blend of academic and commercial training with industry base and focus will provide a significant advantage to the skills development. It will be industry facing, providing focussed skills development for the current needs of the industry. The location of the new facility at MIRA Technology Park will enable activity based learning and provide real-world applications for skills development providing an advantage over solely academic based learning.

“We are delighted that the government is supporting this vital project for our region. It is particularly pleasing that an idea that was germinated in further education, nurtured through a partnership with MIRA, University of Leicester and Loughborough University, will now be brought to full fruition through this funding.

“Importantly, this project will help us to meet the demand for engineers on the Enterprise Zone and in our region by building a core skill set that will help to create future growth, employment and wealth.”

The training centre is projected to prepare 500 people per year to fill transport sector jobs and skills nationally, both in R&D and in related sectors., The training centre will also up-skill a further 2,000 students and delegates per year.

George Gillespie, CEO at MIRA, said:

“We are delighted to receive part of the Growth Deal funding, which will allow us to address the future skills needed for MIRA and MIRA Technology Park tenants over the coming years.

“The funding is a key building block in the development of the Enterprise Zone, and is a fantastic example of joined-up action, which sees government and industry collaborating with education partners.

“We are very much looking forward to working alongside North Warwickshire & Hinckley College, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University to develop the engineers of the future through the purpose-built MIRA Enterprise Zone Skills Centre.”

Andrew Bacon, chair of the LLEP, said,

“Improving skills and employability is vital element to the economic growth of our area.

“Through our growth deal we have been able to support this collaborative initiative – based at our own Enterprise Zone – which will help to equip local people with the relevant skills that our businesses need.”

For further information on the Local Growth Fund, please click here.