Groundbreaking Partnership Tackles Skills Shortages

A groundbreaking partnership between Tamworth & Lichfield College and a leading construction company is helping to ease one of the UK’s biggest skills shortages by providing the craftsmen and women of tomorrow.

The Lichfield Centre for Master Crafts is an exciting collaboration between the college and Lichfield-based Linford Group to tackle a national shortage of specialist craft training facilities. Based around the construction and management of a purpose-built 3068 sq ft craft skills centre at Linford’s Quonians site, it enables students to train in a variety of disciplines including wood carving, stonemasonry, architectural joinery, upholstery, fine crafts and sculpture.

Courses are taught by the college’s Lichfield School of Art and trainees have opportunities to exchange skills with Linford’s trainees in the company’s own workshops and on a number of other local project sites.

Now the college is extending the range of opportunities on offer by launching a brand new two year Level 3 diploma course on the design and craft skills needed to manufacture furniture.

Alison Churchill, head of the Lichfield School of Art, said, “The Centre is proving to be a real success story and we are constantly striving to extend the range of courses and skills available to students from all backgrounds. The new course, a National Diploma in Design Crafts is key to this progression, having been created in view of the skills shortages affecting local businesses. We are also following a number of other very exciting avenues, including the provision of Level 2 City & Guilds qualifications for local 14 to 16 year olds.

“The training centre as a whole is a response to the growing demand for highly trained craftsmen and women who understand the wide range of skills and methods used in conservation projects. Combining practical experience with technical and academic learning has always been the best way of developing tomorrow’s master craftsmen and craftswomen. Students enjoy the very best of both worlds with the opportunity to work alongside highly skilled craftsmen and receive quality college training that is second to none.

“By valuing and nurturing the common heritage of a highly specialised part of an internationally renowned construction company, and a highly specialised part of a college of Further Education, we have brought about an education and business partnership which responds to local and regional employment and training needs.”

Linford Group Executive Chairman David Linford said: “Recruiting and training young people in specialist construction and craft skills is one of the largest challenges facing today’s construction industry. This new facility is just the beginning of an ongoing development training plan for the Midlands. Commitment to training and learning has underpinned the success of Linford Group throughout our history and we are proud to be working with Lichfield School of Art to address this important issue.”

For further information, please contact Alison Churchill at Tamworth & Lichfield College on 01543 301211 or Lyn Yates at Kyte Ltd on 01827 64539.