A skills initiative has been launched by the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology giving West Midlands employers a unique opportunity to upskill their existing employees.   

The Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology has been selected to deliver the Government’s new In-Work Skills pilot. Sandwell companies are able to book any member of staff aged 19+ on to one of three Level 4 technical courses in: 

• Automated machining of materials
• Industrial robotics
• Quality assurance and control.

The In-Work Skills initiative courses are free and can be completed by staff part-time and in modules. All the courses will be delivered by the Institute of Technology’s delivery partner In-Comm Training, which has been rated as Outstanding by Ofsted.  

They will be held at its new state-of-the-art academy in Telford, which features more than £4m of CNC machining, fluid power control, welding bays, metrology and additive manufacturing technology. 

The aim of the £500,000 In-Work Skills pilot scheme is to give businesses the skills they need to become more competitive and to win new business. 

After a difficult couple of years, during which some businesses have been affected financially by Brexit and Covid, some training budgets have been cut, meaning employees are missing out on vital skills development.

The In-Work Skills initiative has been designed to bridge this gap and will give manufacturers access to high-quality level four technical courses at no cost to them when recruitment and training budgets are stretched.

Other benefits to the employer include the opportunity to shape the content of the courses to maximise their benefit to industry, as well as upskilling employees to take advantage of new manufacturing technologies and capabilities.

To find out more about the In-Work Skills scheme visit the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology website.

For more advice and support on training and recruitment visit our Training and recruitment page.