Walford and North Shropshire College has been successful in its application for two grants to the Redundant Buildings Grant Scheme operated by the Marches LEP. One project will see the College convert a redundant estate workshop and storage area (originally the old cannery) in to an enterprise hub for the North Shropshire area.
Once completed later this year, it will provide office space, co-working space and a mixture of individual and hot desks for rent by entrepreneurs and microbusiness. Also on offer as part of the hub’s membership scheme, will be access to IT networks, copiers, generic office services and a wealth of advice and guidance from the advisors on site. It is the College’s vision to provide a much needed boost to self-employment and entrepreneurialism across North Shropshire.
The second project underway will see the creation of a new self-contained rural skills centre in a redundant Grade II listed former stable block. This will provide additional classroom and workshop space to meet the College’s growing needs, and one classroom in particular will, along with the workshop, be used by the Rural Skills team to deliver “licence to operate” programmes such as pesticide applications. The new facilities and additional space will allow over 300 additional learners to access these courses and secure their own future employment in these niche areas.
Speaking as renovation work continues, Andrew Tyley, Principal of Walford and North Shropshire College, commented: “Receiving the grants from the LEP means that we’re able to significantly expand the facilities at the College and welcome additional students to join us. We anticipate an additional 120 apprentices using our facilities and this will equate to 120 new jobs in the region – a figure that puts the importance of this grant scheme in to context.”
Graham Wynn, the recently appointed Chairman of the Marches LEP, added: “The Redundant Buildings Grant Scheme aims to breathe new life in to un-used buildings across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin and in doing so bring them back in to productive economic use. The fact that the enlarged facilities at Walford and North Shropshire College are not only already creating jobs, but that they will be equipping young people with the skills to better their employment prospects, underpins the very existence of the grant. We wish the College a very happy future in its new facilities.”
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