Calderdale College has joined forces with the charity formerly known as Kirkdale Industrial Training Services (KITS) to launch a wide range of engineering qualifications at a new campus in Brighouse, a pivotal move that will significantly expand training opportunities for residents across West Yorkshire.

The move follows the closure of the KITS training centre on Armytage Road in August 2020, which left businesses and residents without access to engineering apprenticeships. From September 2021, thanks to support from Calderdale College, the specialist campus will serve a wide geographical area covering Kirklees, Bradford and Calderdale.

Pioneers at the College will join bosses from some of the region’s leading manufacturing businesses, including Denford Ltd, Colchester Machine Tool Solutions, Hargreaves Foundry Group, Severn Unival Ltd and Cutwel Ltd to form a new partnership. Together the group will reopen the Centre which has delivered accredited courses and trained up to 450 apprentices annually over the last 20 years.

Calderdale College will provide a range of manufacturing and engineering apprenticeships at the campus, responding to the skills demands of the local area where Advanced Manufacturing is one of the largest sectors.

Andrew Denford, Chair of the Interim Board, said of the new campus and partnership: “The news last year that there would be no apprenticeship provision for engineering locally left many residents and businesses deeply disappointed. By working with Calderdale College, we are able to serve the needs of businesses, apprentices and our community by delivering an extensive curriculum that is designed to meet the needs of employers.”

Calderdale College will begin by running a range of apprenticeships including Motor Vehicle, Maintenance and Operations, Lean Manufacturing, Engineering Operative, Maintenance Electrician and Supply Chain Warehouse Operative. This could expand further into full time vocational programmes, as well as workforce development courses for employed people.