Business News
Lloyds Bank pledges extra funding for training centre
Lloyds Bank is ploughing a further £5m into the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC) on the Manufacturing Technology Centre campus. The funding doubles the bank’s
original commitment, bringing total funding to £10m over 10 years. The extra funding will support around 3,500 manufacturing apprentices, graduates and engineers by 2024. The funds will contribute to a
350 per cent increase in the original target for training apprentices, made in 2015. It will also support the AMTC’s commitment to address the shortage of skills - one of the biggest challenges facing the manufacturing sector. Business Secretary Greg Clark
said: “This training centre, with its focus on technical education in advanced manufacturing technologies, will help manufacturers gain a competitive advantage, improve productivity and ensure high skilled well paid jobs.”
Businesses pitch to African buyers
Businesses from across the Midlands had the opportunity to pitch their products and services directly to buyers from Africa at a specially organised event in Birmingham. The 17 companies – all from food
and drink, fast moving consumer goods, health care, business and professional services sectors – won the chance to put their goods and services directly in front of buyers from Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Zambia. The event, aimed at companies
not yet selling in the continent, was organised by West Midlands Chamber of Commerce. Nerissa Govender, trade services
New funding: Second year AMTC apprentices Melissa Chigubu and Charlie Gould, with Clive Hickman, Lloyds chief executive António Horta-Osório and second year AMTC apprentices Tom Rice and Misha Patel
MTC chief executive Dr Clive
Hickman said: “The training centre is developing vital skills which are seeding industry in the region and far beyond, bringing on the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technicians. Since the AMTC was established hundreds of
apprentices and engineers have been trained and up-skilled, and are now filling vital roles.” The MTC was founded by the
University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd.
regional manager (southern Africa) at the Department for International Trade (DIT), said with Africa accounting for three per cent of the UK’s exports of goods and services and growing, many buyers were keen to attract British businesses. She said: “The buyers who have
come over to the Midlands have been really impressed with the innovative goods and services that would work very well in a number of African markets. I hope that this is just the beginning of what will be successful exporting relationships.”
November 2018 CHAMBERLINK 23
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