A £1m engineering and manufacturing training centre in Gorleston is celebrating the end of its first year of offering vocational qualifications with an expansion of its services.

Nexus Engineering Training Centre on Beacon Park provides training and learning opportunities for learners of all ages with a focus on the skills and knowledge required for the growing sectors of engineering and advanced manufacturing.

Funding for vocational qualification came from Norfolk County Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council economic development fund and revenue developed from its own training and services on offer from Nexus.

Nexus is about to embark on its next phase of development by starting evening classes in computer aided design (CAD) and CNC programming next month. The centre is working with local employers to establish training requirements, enabling the offer of competency and up-skilling programmes.

There are opportunities for engineering companies and entrepreneurs to access specialist equipment and expertise with facilities featuring an advanced manufacturing workshop, energy/renewables laboratory, 3D CAD facilities, training areas for electronic, instrumentation, mechanical and electrical engineering, an ICT suite and classrooms.

AT Power Throttles regularly uses the engineering facilities to enhance production and Nexus has other companies that also make use of the facilities and equipment.

Nexus has produced various prototype products for API Engineering Ltd, City Academy Norwich, GasArc Group, Genite Corporation, Multimatic Technical Centre Europe, Pace Products, STG Aerospace, Dofygate, Cyversa, NPS and other private customers, as well as various 3D products for a local tech group from Norwich called Hot Source.

The training centre is running BTec engineering and GCSE graphic courses for learners from high schools and a group of learners from the Adult Education Step Programme, as well as delivering an Exploring Engineering Programme to learners from East Norfolk Sixth Form College and an after-school robotic club at St Nicholas' Priory School. Nexus has already delivered various packages to six primary schools, six high schools and three sixth form colleges from across Norfolk and North Suffolk.

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