Member Article

B&FC’s Lancashire Energy HQ officially opened by Northern Powerhouse minister

Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC)’s new Lancashire Energy HQ has been officially opened by Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP.

Lancashire Energy HQ is a £10.7m dedicated education and training facility and is the flagship development on Blackpool Airport’s Enterprise Zone. It offers a wide range of energy-related training for future employment in the industry as well as opportunities for those already working in the sector to renew their industry accreditation and licences. Industry partners also have the opportunity to utilise the facility to further develop their workforce.

Fittingly, the launch event for Lancashire Energy HQ was held during National Apprenticeship Week and the National Year of Engineering.

Jake Berry MP, Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, said: “I am delighted to officially unveil this fantastic facility, which puts state of the art training at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse.

“With hundreds of students – many of them on apprenticeships with local businesses – passing through Energy HQ’s doors each year, it is clear that it is the Northern Powerhouse that is delivering the next generation of energy engineers and driving forward innovative, low-carbon technology.”

Designed with industry partners, Lancashire Energy HQ includes a wide range of specialised resources which enables B&FC’s dual professional staff to deliver high level skills to support the renewable energy sectors, as well as nuclear technologies, oil and gas and welding practices.

It features: • the sector’s largest renewable and nuclear simulator in England • a metals engineering laboratory • a purpose-built welding facility • a resource centre equipped with Auto CAD software • three large engineering and renewable technologies workshops

Bev Robinson OBE, Principal and Chief Executive, Blackpool and The Fylde College, added: “At B&FC, we work with industry to co-create the training and education needed to develop technically and professionally skilled employees. Lancashire Energy HQ has been designed with industry to meet the needs of the expanding energy sector which in turn delivers energy security for the UK. Students who choose to study with us will develop vital skills to ensure they are workplace-ready when they join the energy sector.

“I would like to thank the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP, for doing us the honour of officially opening this exciting new facility. I would also like to thank Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership who have co-funded the construction of this facility.’’

Graham Cowley, Chair of the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal Management Board, added: “The Lancashire Growth Deal is a multi-million pound enabling fund which allows key projects like the Energy HQ to be brought forward. Growth Deal investments are also aligned to the LEP’s priority sectors, such as energy and environmental technologies, where we already employ around 40,000 people in over 5,000 businesses across the county.

“This fantastic facility will help us inspire and develop the next generation of engineers, scientists and technicians which we will be needed to fulfil Lancashire’s massive commercial potential in this sector.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about learning opportunities leading to employment in the energy sector, should contact Lancashire Energy HQ on 01253 504 343 or email energy@blackpool.ac.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Fielding .