Kirklees College is proud to be playing a key role in the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). The TRU is an ongoing upgrade to the North’s railway systems that will see major improvements in rail services, including cutting down journey times between major locations across northern England. Kirklees College is playing a key role in supporting the upgrade, through the new Kirklees Operator Skills Hub, which opened earlier this year.
The Skills Hub is a state-of-the-art facility for plant machinery operations upskilling, funded by Flannery Plant Hire, Kirklees College and Kirklees Council, and supported by the TRU and BAM Construction. The Operator Skills Hub is a work-based training unit for plant operatives to upskill on new equipment and the latest technology including GPS, mobile simulators, and digital infrastructure, all of which support the delivery of skills bootcamps, study programmes and apprenticeships.
The TRU and Mass Transit projects announce by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority guarantees that there will be an acute need for plant operatives and groundworkers for the next decade. Therefore, equipping local people with these skills is of significant strategic importance to the regional economy. Kirklees College is proud to be at the forefront of filling this skills gap.
Steve Plumstead, Director of Curriculum at Kirklees College, said:
“Kirklees College, alongside partners Flannery Plant Hire and Kirklees Council, is proud to support the Transpennine Route Upgrade through the new Kirklees Operator Skills Hub.
This facility has allowed adult learners in Huddersfield and surrounding areas to gain vital plant machinery operation skills that directly support the skills needed to implement the Transpeninne Route Upgrade.
Kirklees College will be extending learning opportunities at the Hub to young people in September and we are excited to be empowering local people with the training required to support the work of the TRU.”
The Transport Select Committee recently visited the Operator Skills Hub on an official visit to see the ongoing work of the TRU in Huddersfield and West Yorkshire. Shortly after this, the Government announced the completion of one of the upgrade’s biggest milestones on time – the electrification of the line between Church Fenton and York. As the Government continues to support this £11bn project, Kirklees College will continue to educate and inspire the workforce who will see through its completion.
To find out more about the Operator Skills Hub, visit https://www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/kirklees-operator-skills-hub/.
