Cheshire College Set to Upskill Local People after £100m Investment Into Vauxhall

The region’s largest provider of post-16 education, Cheshire College will be delivering the upskilling and reskilling of local people after a £100m investment was made by Stellantis into Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant, which will see it transform into the UK’s first manufacturing site dedicated to electric vans and cars.

The investment was announced on Tuesday 6 July at a press conference attended by UK Government, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng and Vauxhall Motors Managing Director, Paul Willcox.  Prime Minister Boris Johnson also recorded a video message, which was played during the conference hailing the announcement as a ‘huge vote of confidence for Ellesmere Port’.

With an ethos set around inspiring and engaging young learners and adults with the latest innovations and technologies, Cheshire College will be delivering courses designed to upskill and reskill current and new Vauxhall employees in the future of the motor vehicle industry, which will see no new diesel and petrol cars sold in the UK from 2030.

Dhesi, Principal and CEO of Cheshire College, said: “This is a fantastic boost for both the town and people of Ellesmere Port and here at Cheshire College we’re extremely proud to be a part of this. The automotive industry is embarking on a really exciting journey as the country begins to shift to environmentally friendly electric vehicles and I’m delighted we will be working with Vauxhall to deliver the all-important training required to support this.

“We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Vauxhall and will be using the very best cutting-edge technology to deliver the high-quality training needed to ensure more and more of the job opportunities that become available go to people in the local area.”

Cheshire College currently supports apprentices working with Vauxhall and the education provider has played a vital role in safeguarding a sustainable future for the town, having consistently supported Stellantis’ plans alongside the UK Government, Cheshire West and Chester Council and the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.

“I particularly want to thank our highly skilled, dedicated workforce for their patience and contribution.  Thanks also to Cheshire College for their assistance in providing training for our teams.  Producing battery electric vehicles here will support clean, safe and affordable mobility for all. Since 1903 Vauxhall has manufactured vehicles in Britain and we will continue to do so”, said Mark Noble, Vauxhall Ellesmere Port Plant Director. 

• Cheshire College is the largest provider of post-16 education in the region offering exciting opportunities to 11,000 learners and 1,000 Apprentices.  
• Their modern Campuses across Cheshire in Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Chester have world-class facilities which are the result of a £140m investment in the latest technology and real work environments. 
• The College provides learners with the skills, experience and qualifications that will prepare them for their future career or higher-level study and encourage them to become confident individuals who will make valuable contributions to businesses and the local economy.  
• With extremely important values which guide the way they work with each other, their partners and within communities, Cheshire College empower individuals and nurture talent, taking the time to listen, help and care, whilst always acting with honesty, integrity and trust.   
• Cheshire College offers a range of courses from Entry Level to Level 7 in: A Levels; Full-time courses; Apprenticeships; Part-time courses for adults; Access and Higher Education courses; bespoke training for employers; Maths, English, IT and ESOL courses for adults; programmes for International learners; Futures Programme for learners aspiring to progress to university.   
• They are also the only Further Education College in Cheshire to have been selected by the Government to offer a new two-year qualification, T Levels, from September 2021.   
• Cheshire College works with key stakeholders and leads on initiatives to provide high-quality education for all ages in Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Chester.  
• They also work with employers, industries and organisations to drive economic growth through the development of future e-focused skills.  
• Cheshire College is on a mission to develop digital across the community with their new five-year project, ‘The Digital Hub’, which is part of a £5m investment made by Cheshire and Warrington LEP. The Digital Hub aims to deliver skills and career pathways in additive manufacturing and Virtual and Augmented Reality, as well as improve Advanced Manufacturing Skills to expand digital infrastructures in existing workforces and facilitate access to technology within community organisations.  
• The College has strong links with local businesses of all sizes and work with many major employers such as Bentley, Brownlow Furniture, Ecolab, Vauxhall Motors, Scottish Power, Unilever, Brunning and Price and National Grid.  
• Cheshire College are an approved Apprenticeship provider and can support local employers who are using the Levy system to recruit and train Apprentices within their business.