Priority Sector Skills
Construction Gateway
Colleges across the West Midlands play a pivotal role in supporting the construction industry by offering a diverse range of training programs, apprenticeships, recruitment support and collaborative initiatives tailored to meet the sector’s evolving needs in terms of traditional Construction Trades, Building Engineering Services, Professional trades, Modern Methods of Construction and Retrofit.
These institutions collectively contribute to the construction industry’s growth in the West Midlands by working in partnership with employers and their Employer Representative Bodies including CECA, CITB, Constructure (previously CCATF), ECA, FMB, HBF. Strategic agency partners WMCA, DWP, NCS and Gatsby alongside awarding organisations City and Guilds and NOCN enable the group to focus on developing a skilled workforce, fostering industry partnerships, and aligning educational programs with sector demands.
Recently the Construction Gateway programme has been developed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, this free recruitment and basic training program is available to all West Midlands-based construction companies. Employers can influence the content of the training program to align with their organisation’s needs, helping to build a ‘work-ready’ bank of construction workers.
AEM Excellence
Colleges across the West Midlands play a pivotal role in supporting the Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing industries by offering a diverse range of training programs, apprenticeships, recruitment support and collaborative initiatives tailored to meet the sector’s evolving needs. These needs include traditional engineering and manufacturing skills along with skills to increase electrification, digitisation and ‘greening’ of the sector. The automotive sector includes petrol and diesel engine vehicles along with battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs).
These institutions collectively contribute cutting edge skills and knowledge to the Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing industries supporting growth in the West Midlands. This is delivered by working in partnership with employers and their Employer Representative Bodies including ESN, Electric Revolution Skills Hub, Warwickshire Manufacturing Group. Strategic agency partners WMCA, DWP, NCS and Gatsby alongside awarding organisations City and Guilds, IMI and Pearson enable the group to focus on developing a skilled workforce, fostering industry partnerships, and aligning educational programs with sector demands.
Digital and making better use of AI
One of the most complex challenges the economy and society face is how we adopt and adapt digital across every aspect of business and day to day life. To support a cohesive approach colleges across the West Midlands has established the Digital group to play a pivotal role in supporting:
- The Digital industry.
- Supporting other sectors to embrace digital skills and digital innovation.
- Equipping our community with the digital skills they need to function effectively in society and the economy.
- Supporting colleges to implement digital solutions to every aspect of their business from teaching and learning to all our business support functions.
With regards the Digital industry and other sectors we are offering a diverse range of training programs, apprenticeships, recruitment support and collaborative initiatives tailored to meet the sector’s evolving needs. These needs include traditional digital skills along with emerging technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
These institutions collectively contribute to the Digital industry and other industries growth in the West Midlands by working in partnership with employers and their Employer Representative Bodies including ESN, Electric Revolution Skills Hub, Warwickshire Manufacturing Group. Strategic agency partners WMCA, DWP, NCS and Gatsby alongside awarding organisations City and Guilds, Gateway Qualifications enable the group to focus on developing a digitally equipped community, skilled workforce, fostering industry partnerships, and aligning educational programs with sector demands.
Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire
Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire is a collaborative partnership between local employers and further education providers working to improve access to technical skills provision. Our website serves as a directory for training initiatives in the region, helping businesses develop the skills they need to grow, innovate and thrive.
