An additional £1.25 million of European Union (EU) funding will create opportunities for high-level technical skills training in East Wales through the Materials and Manufacturing Education Training and Learning (METaL) project, which already covers West Wales and the Valleys.
Swansea University has worked with local employers, including Tata Steel, to develop targeted courses that meet industry demand.
Counsel General Jeremy Miles, who is responsible for EU funding in Wales, said: “Wales has always been a big player in heavy industry, engineering and manufacturing.
"The manufacturing industry is moving quickly in new directions, so it is vital that Welsh people have up-to-date high-level technical skills and knowledge to research and develop products that are competitive in the global market. The extended funding provides a skills boost for the Welsh manufacturing sector.”
The College of Engineering at Swansea University will deliver a series of accredited training modules at NQF levels 4-8 to 400 people, via flexible employer-friendly classroom or on-line learning methods.
Khalil Khan, METaL project manager at Swansea University (
www.project-metal.co.uk), said: “This EU funding is already being put to good use, and it has enabled the METaL project to share its expertise, knowledge and experience in supporting Welsh businesses around the East Wales region.”