Consultation starts on plans to open engineering academy in Chelmsley Wood.

TRAINING BASE: The college will help tackle the skills
shortage facing the manufacturing industry.

AMBITIOUS plans to build a state-of-the-art engineering academy in Chelmsley Wood are to be put out for public consultation.
The project was given the go-ahead by Chancellor George Osborne in August; one of several sites around the country which will provide specialist technical training to young people.
Two months on and plans have now been drawn up to develop a campus on land between Chelmsley Road and Conway Road.
The site would be modelled on an existing college in Coventry and would cater for over 600 14-19-year-olds. If all goes to plan, the facility could welcome its first intake of teenagers by September 2016.
The academy partners have said they are keen to hear what potential students, parents, employers and the wider community think about the proposals.
Chief Executive of the WMG Academy Trust, Dr Richard Hutchins said: “This is an important stage in the development of our second WMG Academy. We really want to hear the views of all sectors of the community.
“Our goal is to enable students from across Birmingham and Solihull to access to the same high-quality, innovative teaching we will be providing in the WMG Academy in Coventry; giving them the chance to gain technical qualifications alongside the national curriculum and gaining important business skills such as team-work, problem-solving and leadership.”
People are encouraged to complete an online questionnaire and there is also a public meeting scheduled to take place within the next few weeks.
To find out more about the proposals and take part in the consultation (which runs until November 30) go to www.wmgacademysolihull.org.uk/

Factbox:
• The academy is being sponsored by the University of Warwick and has the backing of industry heavyweights including Jaguar Land Rover and Prodrive.
• It is one of seven University Technical Schools (UTCs) that were given the green light over the summer. The aim is to train young people to pursue a career in industries such as engineering.
• Four out of five manufacturing companies have experienced problems recruiting new staff, and Business Secretary Vince Cable warned earlier this year that the skills shortage facing the industry was a major cause for concern.
• The blueprint for the North Solihull college will be the WMG Academy for Young Engineers, which opened in Coventry last month.