£1.2m advanced manufacturing facility opens in Lancashire

A new manufacturing and engineering centre in Lancashire’s industrial heartland has officially opened.

Around 120 people attended the launch event for the £1.2m Advanced Manufacturing & Automation Centre (AMAC) at Training 2000, a training provider based on Furthergate Business Park in Blackburn.

Guests of honour Edwin Booth, chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and David Bailey, chief exec of the North West Aerospace Alliance, were on hand to open the facility.

Over the next two years, the training centre will allow more than 250 local people to study for Higher Engineering Apprenticeships and participate in upskilling programmes, with opportunities to continue studying at degree level available for successful apprentices.

AMAC, which features advanced equipment and a team of trainers plucked directly from industry, was built with £800k from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership as part of a £30m investment programme designed to upskill thousands and boost key areas of Lancashire’s economy.

The CEO of training provider Training 2000, Steve Gray, said: “The AMAC provides a unique environment right at the heart of Lancashire which builds on the county’s rich heritage within engineering and manufacturing.

“By upskilling both the current and next generation of engineers and manufacturers on cutting-edge equipment, we’re helping companies develop the employees they need to drive productivity and growth.”

The chair of the LEP’s Growth Deal Management Board, Graham Cowley, commented: “Improving the skills of Lancashire’s workforce in key sectors of the economy is an important part of the LEP’s ambitious strategic programme to transform the county and drive economic growth over the next decade.

“The LEP is funding a network of new, modern training facilities all across Lancashire which will improve the employability of thousands of local people over the coming years.”

He added: “We have committed to supporting 15 new training facilities via Growth Deal Skills Capital funding, of which the AMAC in Blackburn is the second to be completed.”

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