We were delighted to attend the opening of CATCH’s expanded Skills and Apprenticeships Centre in Stallingborough, North East Lincolnshire.
As one of the funders of the facility, it was fantastic to see the venue bustling with guests, all of whom are passionate about economic growth within the Humber region.
The afternoon started with a welcome address from CATCH CEO David Talbot, before short introductions from investors and input from fellow-funders ECITB, as well as Humber Freeport CEO Simon Green. The facility was then officially opened before guests went on a tour of the centre, meeting both tutors and apprentices.
New £1.5m facility opens at CATCH’s Skills and Apprenticeships Centre.
CATCH is poised to play a significant role in helping steer more young people towards STEM careers to meet the region’s skills needs.
The investment of £1.5m to expand the facility represents a significant milestone in this commitment. With the capacity to more than double the centre’s intake, from 100 to 220 apprentices, and triple the number of welding and grinding bays to 80, CATCH is better positioned than ever to equip young people with the skills needed for the future.
Humber Freeport CEO Simon Green speaking at the opening of the expanded CATCH facility.
CATCH’s Skills and Apprenticeships Centre is a £60m state-of-the-art training facility which helps to tackle the engineering construction skills shortages anticipated in the Humber and across the UK.
This expansion of the facility will not only support the UK’s journey to net zero but also help drive economic growth across the Humber, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
Humber Freeport is part of a cohort of sponsors that made the expanded CATCH facility possible, with a combined total of £1.5m in funding investment from sponsors across the region.
L-R: David Talbot CATCH CEO, Andy Brown, Chief Operating Officer, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Martin Vickers MP for Brigg and Immingham, Simon Green CEO of Humber Freeport and Paul Fursey Lead Executive UK and Humber Refinery General Manager.
In November 2023, the Humber Freeport Board approved £25m of seed capital funding for projects to stimulate growth and create hundreds of jobs across the Humber region. These projects included facilities that will accelerate the decarbonisation of the Humber, including CATCH’s Skills and Apprenticeships Centre.
Martin Vickers, MP for Brigg and Immingham, and Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, opened the extended facility, supported by other stakeholders. The MPs met with students, tutors and local businesses, reiterating that green skills and green jobs are vital to the economy of the Humber and the UK.
Humber Freeport CEO Simon Green said: “It gives us great pleasure to be involved with CATCH’s Skills and Apprenticeships Centre and to see the impact of what is already being done with the trainees here.
“The expanded facility is the result of many businesses coming together to address a common issue, and it’s great to see an idea that was just in its infancy a year ago mature and evolve into what we are seeing in action today.
“The facility is further evidence that the Humber has the skills to support investment and growth within the region.”
CATCH has been working with industry and stakeholders to develop in-demand industrial skills since 2006. It has world class training facilities, emulating industrial plant, equipment and processes.
Picture credit: David Lee Photography Ltd
