West Suffolk College and Eastern Education Group is looking to engineer a bright future for the manufacturing industry thanks to the creation of a new training centre in Bury St Edmunds.
The building – that will be located inside the University Professional Development Centre based on Western Way – has been made possible thanks to a £550k investment from an organisation called the Gene Haas Foundation.
Work is set to be completed by the end of 2025 and once opened, the facility will be training engineering and manufacturing students – and apprentices – across all levels of education.
This is the second UK centre of its kind to be built and the first and only one that will be housed in the East of England. (The first was opened in Nottinghamshire two years ago).
The Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing will continue a manufacturing legacy in the town as it will be situated where the company Vinten used to be housed.
Andrew Ward representing the Gene Haas Foundation during a recent visit, said: “In 2014, Gene Haas Foundation launched an initiative to highlight the most technologically advanced computer numerical controlled (CNC) schools and training programmes in North America, later expanding this opportunity to Europe and the UK.
“Through these partnerships, institutions receive a grant in recognition of their excellence, and they are officially designated a Gene Haas Centre. West Suffolk College is the second centre within the UK and we are delighted to be working with them and supporting the training and education of engineering and manufacturing students.” Laraine Moody is the Group Principal for University Professional Development Centre. Laraine said:“This all came about thanks to our ongoing relationship with Haas UK and the Gene Haas Foundation. Thanks to this, we have been given this grant to enhance our engineering and manufacturing training at the University Professional Development Centre in Bury.
“We already support many engineering and manufacturing students and businesses but this amazing gesture by the Gene Haas Foundation will enable us to upscale the groundbreaking work we do in this particular area of industry.
“It’s been an ongoing challenge to fill skills gaps in these industries and we believe that this will be the start of a new industrial revolution in the east – and we are delighted to be at the forefront of this thanks to the Gene Haas Foundation.”
“We are an outstanding organisation and this gesture from the Gene Haas Foundation is also outstanding. We are so grateful. We are so proud to be the only centre of its kind in the region.
“The centre and the college will help train the next generation of skilled workers to support the growing needs of the manufacturing industry in this country.”
