Member Article

Training provider tackles North East skills shortage with new academy

A North East apprenticeship and training provider is relocating due to increasing demand and to tackle the skills shortage in the construction industry.

The Nordic Focus Training Group is opening a new Academy on Chesnut Street, Darlington, which will house facilities for delivering construction apprenticeships and corporate training.

There will be a special launch event on 1 August 2014 where the Worshipful Mayor of Darlington, Gerald Lee, will formally open the Training Academy. Employers from across the North East will be in attendance along with awarding bodies and strategic partners.

They will have a chance to tour the Academy which will include three large workshop areas and several classroom training facilities. These will support auxiliary learning which accompanies the hands-on learning of apprenticeships.

The academy will focus on increasing construction apprenticeships due to a significant skills shortage in this industry.

Kully Brooks, managing director of the Nordic Focus Training Group said: “Moving to our new training academy provides us with a great platform for further business growth. We will be in a position to expand the number of services and qualifications we currently offer our clients and we understand the value of an employer-led approach to training delivery.

“More importantly our apprentices and trainees will benefit from a comfortable well equipped training environment. We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone at our launch event.”

The move follows a collaboration between Nordic Pioneer and Focus Training and Development, which, combined, have 30 years’ experience and have trained more than 40,000 people. Currently it has more than 400 apprentices in training.

The Academy also plans to become an official Construction Skills Certificate Scheme test centre which will mean local candidates will not have to travel out of Darlington to complete this industry recognised accreditation.

The Nordic Focus Training Group boasts a portfolio including recycling and resource management company SITA, Northumbrian Water, 5 North East councils and 11 London Borough councils.

It has already opened a Training Academy in London, and plans to open similar Academies in the West Midlands and Merseyside.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey & Hugo .