Battery cell technology company Britishvolt has formed a partnership with Northumberland College and the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre in Coventry to shape the battery skills landscape.
The company is behind plans for a job-creating Gigafactory in Blyth, alongside a £200m battery cell scale-up facility in the West Midlands.
As part of the partnership, Britishvolt will create a syllabus and ensure access to technical training for apprentices to understand the skills required for the battery production process.
Katie Sloggett, Britishvolt head of learning and development, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to work within our local communities and help generate the skills required for Britain to play its part in the next industrial revolution. These partnerships will initially create opportunities for apprentices at levels 2-4, in time forming part of a wider electrification skills pathway towards higher-skills, up to and including level 8 (PhD).”
She added: “I’m very excited for the boost for Northumberland and West Midlands. These agreements, alongside the broader technical training programme, will ensure that we have the people and skills that we need for the 3,000 direct highly-skilled jobs, and another 5,000-plus indirect wider supply chain roles. Building the batteries that will power our electric vehicles for a cleaner, greener future.”
Iain Nixon, vice principal partnerships and commercial for Education Partnership North East, which incorporates Northumberland College, Sunderland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form, said: “The arrival of Britishvolt in south east Northumberland is going to have a massive positive impact on the local area and its economy and we’re delighted to be partnering with Britishvolt to help recruit new talent and develop their workforce through apprenticeships.”
The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI and aims to provide an environment that bridges the gap between university-based research and the development of manufacturing products.
David Grailey managing director of MTC Training, added: “MTC Training’s apprentices are exactly what industry needs to fill the high-tech jobs of the future as industry moves toward a net-zero environment. Our apprenticeship shape our learners to be fully-rounded apprentices capable of filling the most demanding of positions.”
As well as training Britishvolt apprentices, Northumberland College will be supporting BV FutureGen Foundation. The charity was created by Britishvolt and aims to build a better future for local communities through providing entry level, gateway qualifications into STEM and renewables employment.
