Member Article

Yorkshire's Chambers of Commerce stick together in support of Doncaster's rail college bid

Doncaster Chamber, along with the other Chambers of Commerce in the Yorkshire and Humber region, support the bid for Doncaster to be the home of the High Speed Rail College.

Doncaster is in a competitive process against Derby, Manchester and Birmingham as the location to host this prestigious institution.

Securing the College would bring enormous employment and economic benefits for young people and companies throughout Yorkshire and the North and will ensure the region continues to be an internationally renowned centre of rail engineering excellence that will attract investment from across the globe.

All Chambers in the Yorkshire and Humber region support the bid, this includes not only Doncaster Chamber but also Sheffield, Barnsley & Rotherham, Mid Yorkshire, Hull & Humber and West & North Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce.

Phil Harris, Chief Executive, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce said: “I am very supportive of the HS2 FE college bid. I consider Doncaster an ideal location due to its extensive experience in railways coupled with the wider city region capability and experience in delivering major civil engineering projects.

“Siting the College in Doncaster would secure the region as an internationally renowned centre of rail engineering excellence, attracting investment from across the globe.”

Nigel Foster, Leeds Chamber president said: “The Leeds Chamber of Commerce is pleased to support Doncaster’s bid for the new HS2 Rail College.

“We believe that developing these skills in South Yorkshire will support the wider transformational agenda to grow the economy and increase prosperity, and will create an intergenerational skills and employment base that will help to deliver vital investment in the UK as well as export opportunities overseas.

“Its central location in the UK with excellent connectivity to other key manufacturing and industrial sectors as well as the central position in the UK railway network makes it the best location for this crucial training and skills college.”

Yorkshire and the Humber’s Chambers of Commerce collectively represent c10,000 businesses, including many of the region’s major employers and wealth creators.

Members include numerous manufacturers, engineer firms and businesses operating within the rail industry; the latter sector being concentrated along the East Coast Mainline – particularly in Doncaster and York.

Doncaster’s bid is driven by businesses, supported by some of the UK’s leading education providers and backed by multiple Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships. It is a bid that will have the optimum regenerative implications and enable an optimum number of businesses to grow and create jobs in the rail sector.

Business within the region are strongly encouraged to support the bid by completing the short online form here:http://www.businessdoncaster.com/bid-for-hs2-rail-college-in-doncaster/

More details are available here, including other ways to show support for the bid: http://www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk/doncaster-chamber-news.asp?newsid=883

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .