Published at 10:29, Saturday, 30 January 2010

NE of the keys to West Cumbria achieving its ambitious plan to become Britain’s Energy Coast™ is its ability to supply a first class workforce with the necessary specialist skills and expertise in the low-carbon and nuclear energy industries.

We need to draw on the existing skills of the current generation of skilled engineers and managers, but if we aspire to an international reputation for our economy then we also can, and should, bring in the best people from all over the world. The real key, however, will be to make sure we have the capacity to develop the skills in our home grown workforce for the technologies that will power the country and our economy.

In 2008, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the University of Cumbria began a collaboration to put in place the foundations for creating a workforce capability that can drive through and sustain the Britain’s Energy Coast™ Masterplan.

A partnership of further education, higher education and specialised vocational training has come together at Lillyhall in West Cumbria to create a centre for learning excellence under the umbrella name of Britain’s Energy Coast™ Campus. The longer term aim is to extend that approach throughout West Cumbria covering the education, learning, skills and research sectors.

The Universities of Cumbria and Central Lancashire are providing learning opportunities in West Cumbria now. Lancaster and Manchester Universities are aiming to add to the research capacity. The National Nuclear Laboratory is also based here. Collaborations with Lakes College, Energus and GenII should ensure that we can provide a complete learning and training journey from school through further and higher education and vocational in work training to fit the opportunities of the economy.

Since its opening last summer, Energus has been a base for providing skills excellence that spans further and higher education for the nuclear, renewable energy and environmental restoration industries.

A total of 150 apprentices are already receiving world-class training in unparalleled facilities at Energus. Energus is also home now to the University of Cumbria and already 200 students have either started degree courses or benefited from specialist short courses at the University of Cumbria at Lillyhall. The LEAD programme for managers and leaders in our local businesses is up and running and a programme of short courses are soon to commence at Energus (see advert below). Over the next five years we can expect to see further developments in learning and training opportunities as part of Britain’s Energy Coast™ Campus, including:

l This year will see the formal launch, led by Nuclear Management Partners, of the Centre of Leadership Development helping to nurture the very best in management and leadership skills.

l Britain’s Energy Coast™ team and Lakes College are working on plans to create a new construction training centre to ensure that we have the skilled workers to employ the latest techniques and technologies in sustainable building this century.

l Energus are leading on developing the right accommodation solutions for students, researchers and managers.

l The University of Manchester in partnership with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will develop additional facilities for research at West Lakes Science Park.

l The University of Central Lancashire recently reopened its higher education facilities following a major refurbishment.

l The new £100m West Cumberland Hospital will include specialist areas for training and research.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk