Students in Rugby benefit from Skills for Employment grant
A barrier to growth for one of the biggest employment sectors in Rugby is being overcome thanks to a £39,100 grant from Warwickshire County Council's Skills for Employment programme.
The shortage of training provision for the logistics industry, which supports 23,700 jobs in Warwickshire, was raised by Karen Shuter, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Rugby branch at a committee meeting.
Following that meeting, Warwickshire College Group (WCG), Warwickshire County Council, the Chamber and Rugby MP Mark Pawsey pulled together a plan of action to help tackle the issue.
Karen and WCG Rugby College campus applied for a Skills Challenge grant from Warwickshire County Council's Skills for Employment programme. The application was successful and has paved the way for the creation of a new logistics learning hub at the campus.
Business Studies students who began their courses in September now have logistics as part of their course as a pilot project. In January, the first learners from small and medium-sized businesses in the sector will be enrolled onto industry-led level 2 & 3 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport qualifications.
The hub will also provide a series of work experience opportunities as well as a brand new Logistics Office Simulation Facility.
Glenn Robinson, Skills for Employment manager for Warwickshire County Council, said: “The council is delighted to support development of the hub as the logistics sector is of huge importance to the county.
“I have visited the hub and seen what a professional environment it provides. Hopefully, many of the students who will learn there go on to secure jobs in logistics."
Karen Shuter said: “I am absolutely thrilled that this opportunity is now available to learners here in Rugby. When you consider how important the sector is to the town, the surrounding borough and the county, it was difficult to believe there was no provision.
“I raised the issue when the Chamber was running its initial Go For Growth campaign because it was looking at some of the barriers to growth. It is fitting, therefore, that the new Go For Growth: Trade Local campaign has just been launched and we have this fantastic success story to shout about.”
Neil Coker, group vice-principal (curriculum) at WCG, said: “As an organisation we pride ourselves on the extent to which we work with local and regional employers and industry sectors. The logistics hub is another example of where we have worked in partnership to support skills needs in the area and link our student body with future job opportunities.
"The aim is that the logistics hub provides students with an introduction to highly-rewarding jobs and careers in this sector that they had previously not considered. The sector needs well-trained, confident and well-educated young people and our students are the solution to future skills needs in transport management and logistics."
WCG is approved to deliver CILT Level 2 & 3 in Logistics & Transport. Interested parties can contact Charley Duxbury, Logistics Project Manager on: cduxbury@warwickshire.ac.uk or 07740419331 for more information. Enrolment is on November 27 with a start date of January 10, 2019.