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Shadow Business Secretary John opens Technical Academy in Durham

EAST Durham College has officially opened its new Technical Academy, a training centre designed to prepare learners for a rewarding career in the construction trades.

The Rt Hon John Denham MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, declared the Academy open following a tour of the 30,000 sq ft facility in Peterlee, County Durham.

East Durham College has developed the Technical Academy to offer a realistic training environment and industry-standard facilities including vast workshop areas, state-of-the-art classrooms and an IT suite.

The Academy aims to provide a centre of excellence preparing learners for a rewarding career in trades such as gas and electrical installation and maintenance, fitted interiors (kitchens and bathrooms), plastering, wall and floor tiling and roofing. It is developing training in renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar power installation.

The Rt Hon John Denham MP said: “The Technical Academy is a great facility and I am delighted that East Durham College is making such a commitment to equipping their learners with the skills needed to compete for the jobs of the future.

“Now more than ever, it is important to continue investing in career specialisation expertise, so people have the skills to help them succeed at every level of their career and businesses can grow with a professional and knowledgeable workforce.

“This will be particularly important for the East Durham area and the North East region to improve skills and support and grow business as the Government reduces opportunities for learners.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .