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4 The Business Newsletter of South Ribble Borough Council SKILLS Construction Starts on BAE Systems 15.6m Training Academy Defence firm BAE Systems has started work on a new 15m training academy which will form the first investment on the Enterprise Zone at Samlesbury. The start of construction of the state-of-the-art facility was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony carried out by Edwin Booth chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership which also coincided with a new cohort of apprentices joining the defence giants Military Air Information MAI business. It will be completed in time for the 2016 Apprenticeship intake which will include BAE Systems new degree apprentices. The academy will also train up apprentices for North West aerospace businesses as part of a company-funded initiative to boost skills in the region. BAE Systems is one of the UKs largest employers of apprentices and invests around 80m a year in training and skills. The company trains more than 1000 apprentices across the UK at any one time and plans to significantly grow this number to 2000 by 2018. Chris Boardman managing director of BAE Systems MAI said The ground breaking today is a significant milestone in this exciting development that will provide cutting-edge facilities and greater capacity for future apprentices joining our business. I am extremely proud of our Apprenticeship programme and the role it plays in ensuring we continue to develop world-class skills to create world-class technology. Council Launches Apprentice Skills Drive South Ribbles hard-working youngsters have received the chance to earn while they learn thanks to an Apprenticeship scheme from the Council. The programmes original intake was for four Business Administration apprentices yet exceptional demand has seen the local authority recruit an additional six young learners four in Horticulture one in Civil Engineering and one in Shared Assurance. The cohort of apprentices aged 16-18 is working towards nationally- recognised qualifications during the next two years whilst receiving on-the-job training within the borough. South Ribble Borough Council is working with Runshaw Myerscough and Bolton College to deliver the programme which began in September. Margaret Smith council leader said Were dedicated to investing in our young people and will make sure that it is local youngsters who get the chance to take up these opportunities because as far as I am concerned one unemployed young person in the borough is one too many. Weve wanted to resurrect our Apprenticeship programme for a number of years and have been thrilled by such high levels of interest and applications for our current scheme. Our ten new apprentices are all extremely bright and keen to learn and we look forward to helping them build a long-term career path thanks to their Apprenticeship. Runshaws 6.2m Science Engineering Centre Taking Shape The steel framework for Runshaw Colleges new multi-million pound Science and Engineering Innovation Centre SEIC at Euxton Lane has been erected and internal works have begun. Expected to complete in spring 2016 the build programme with Balfour Beatty is well underway with the SEIC becoming fully operational in time for the 201617 academic year. The facility will accommodate around 400 students state-of-the-art workshops and laboratories and forge stronger links between the training provider and local businesses particularly those in science and engineering. It will also house the colleges new HND Higher National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering which launched September 2015. The course which can also be studied part-time as a HNC Higher National Certificate is suited to anyone looking to pursue a career within this sector and those already working within the field. For more information on Runshaws new SEIC and HND HNC in Mechanical Engineering contact 01772 643008. L-R Eddie Sutton deputy chief executive at Lancashire County Council and Dave Holmes manufacturing operations director at BAE Systems Military Air and Information Runshaws new Science and Engineering Innovation Centre