New college facility and improved access for Solent Enterprise Zone

Posted on 23 May 2013 · Posted in News

Solent Enterprise Zone will benefit from a £12 million college facility and improved road links, creating hundreds of training posts and jobs.

The new Centre of Excellence for Engineering, Manufacturing and Advanced Skills Training will provide courses for around 900 students per year and meet vital training needs for local employers on the Enterprise Zone and across Fareham and Gosport.

Gary Jeffries, Director of Solent LEP, which is responsible for delivering the Enterprise Zone, said:

“This is great news for young people in Gosport and Fareham and for businesses, the community and the local economy as a whole. By the summer, work will start on both a new main gateway to the Enterprise Zone and on the new centre, and it’s exciting to think that in just over a year, the new centre will be up and running and welcoming students.

“It is a huge boost for the Solent Enterprise Zone as a hub for marine and aerospace engineering and manufacturing businesses.”

The flagship centre is expected to create and safeguard 135 temporary jobs during construction, which is due to start in the summer, and a further 150 permanent jobs on site when it opens in September 2014.

Solent also has the go ahead to build a new access point which will improve access to the Enterprise Zone.

Kevin Bourner, HCA Head of Area, said:

“The new access will support the training centre and development across the entire site. Today’s decision enables us to take real action on the ground that will, as part of the long-term development of the Enterprise Zone, bring more jobs, opportunities and investment to the area and provide a significant boost to the local economy.”

For more information see: http://solentez.co.uk/.