The centre, which aims to train 6,500 people from Peterborough and the East of England over three years, upgraded its learning resources thanks to a £825,000 grant from the East of England Development Agency. The centre now features:
- a simulated work environment (a mini automated production line)
- a CNC/Robotics suite (training on programming, operating and maintaining production equipment)
- a Virtual Reality Modelling suite (training off the shop floor using virtual reality to simulate shop floor conditions).
The project resulted from strong partnership working between Perkins, EEDA, GO-East and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Working with local colleges the centre is also developing a range of courses designed to improve the literacy, maths and IT skills of Perkins employees and the wider community in Peterborough.
Minister for the East of England, Barbara Follett said:
"I'm delighted that this world class training centre is now open. It will serve a vital role in training the needs of Perkins employees and learners in the wider community. This project came together through strong partnership working and demonstrates how much can be achieved when organisations work together towards a common goal, which is vitally important to the local community. It is fundamental that we continue to invest in raising skills in Peterborough to create more opportunities for the community and develop the city's economic growth. Successful employers see investing in the skills of their workforce as one of the most powerful steps they can take to drive their businesses forward. We need to create a culture in which every employer takes that view."
EEDA chair Richard Ellis said: "EEDA's investment in this state-of-the-art training facility will help to further enhance Perkins as a global manufacturing business. It's clear that skills-training is an absolutely critical ingredient of any competitive businesses, and the opportunities this new facility provides Perkins to develop their own staff cannot be understated. We are supporting this project because it offers all-round benefits to the region's businesses and communities.
"It creates a critical link between a manufacturing centre of excellence and the fast-expanding higher education presence in Peterborough and will enable knowledge transfer between academia and businesses to foster innovation and new product ideas. It also creates a fantastic opportunity for manufacturing businesses of all sizes to utilise the systems and train their own staff."
Welcoming Barbara Follett to the Learning Centre, Perkins President Hans Haefeli said: "Perkins has demonstrated a significant commitment to keeping and growing its manufacturing capability in this region. Our aim is to drive-up productivity, quality and profitability while taking research, development and process engineering to new levels. This will have enormous implications for us in respect of skills - both now and in the future. Through this partnership initiative and use of our world-class Learning Centre, we can effectively address the skills needs in a structured manner."
Mr Haefeli explained that the newly opened Learning Centre would also enable Perkins to work with secondary, further and higher education establishments, to support relevant courses and rekindle an enthusiasm for manufacturing and engineering among local students.
