Engineering training provider Humberside Engineering Training Association HETA is investing £5.5m in a new training centre on the outskirts of Grimsby, from where it hopes to address the growing skill shortage in engineering.
The centre will welcome the first intake of apprentice engineers in August this year providing modern state of the facilities for learners, staff and visitors. HETA trains over 200 apprentices each year whist also delivering crucial upskill training to over 2,000 qualified engineers. The investment in Grimsby brings HETA’s investment in skills development in the region to more than £10m in the last five years.
CEO Iain Elliott said: “Our ethos at HETA is to continue to invest in our facilities and staff to ensure we meet the continuing demands of employers in the region. Apprenticeships are vital to the UK economy and finding highly skilled engineering apprenticeships gives young people the first step on the career ladder.
“With an average salary of £48k for a qualified engineer, we are proud of the opportunities that we have found for so many young people over the last 55 years. With a changing skills landscape in the sector HETA continues to invest in developing new provision to meet the demands of employers and learners including expanding our apprenticeship provision and developing curriculum in Carbon Capture Storage and Hydrogen.”
The new centre will be equipped with modern learning facilities and provide a secure safe and conducive environment for high quality learning across a range of apprenticeship standards in the engineering sector. Building on its existing provision HETA will develop new apprenticeship programmes including Non-Destructive Testing as well as new courses to support the changing demands of employers with curriculum based on Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) and the use of Hydrogen as a means of energy supply. With an estimated 54% of the AME workforce likely to require a Level 4 and 5 qualification by 2024 HETA will continue to offer their highly successful and long established Higher National programme across the region.
Established by employers for employers in 1967, HETA has successfully delivered apprenticeship and Higher education programmes and upskilling provision across the region and is well recognised by employers for the quality of delivery resulting in an ‘Excellent’ grading from those employers. Servicing over 450 employers HETA prides itself on its long-standing reputation and an OfSted rating of ‘Good’ recognises the quality of apprenticeship provision.
