News - Cash boost for College Training

Sheffield Telegraph

Published Date: 20 February 2009

THE Sheffield College has received a national cash injection to train more engineering and science technicians and boost jobs.

Fourteen colleges nationally have been awarded a grant from the New Eng-ineering Foundation, a vocational education think tank.

The Sheffield College will share £25,000 and comprise an expertise hub with Doncaster and Wakefield colleges for Yorkshire and the Humber employers.

The three organisations will work with businesses in projects called Knowledge and Technology Transfer and Exchange Nodes.

This will involve sharing expertise to help companies innovate, develop new products, and generate practical solutions to plug their skills gaps.

In Sheffield, the grant will be used to train more science, aviation and information technology technicians because of a current shortage of those skills.

Heather MacDonald, Principal and Chief Executive, The Sheffield College, said: "This initiative will build on our existing action plan to create more opportunities and help businesses survive the recession and grow.

"The employers we work with need more technicians in the health, information technology and aviation sectors. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other colleges and enhance the economy by pooling our expertise."

Link to article: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/business/Cash-boost-for-college-training.4999649.jp