Stratford-upon-Avon College Automotive EV Centre receives UKSPF Direct Award

Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Cabinet has today approved the capital funding of £625,000 to Stratford-upon-Avon College to establish an Automotive Electric Vehicle (EV) Training Academy.

The financial year of 2024/2025 is the first period where skills funding has been provided as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).  

At The Cabinet meeting on 15 January 2024, an alternative approach to UKSPF spend was agreed including the direct award in relation to skills funding in year 3, specifically, to include a capital funding allocation under intervention E39.

The objectives of intervention E39 include:

• To support local areas to fund gaps in local skills provision, especially in green low carbon skills.
• To support economically inactive people or people who have been unemployed to progress into work.
• To support those who need upskilling or retraining related to electric vehicles.

The £625,000 capital funding is being used to widen the College's offer in the District's significant automotive manufacturing and engineering sector. The College seeks to ensure that the automotive training facilities are upgraded to meet the transition of the industry to supply and manufacture hybrid and electric vehicles.

Cllr George Cowcher, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, said: "This is an extremely important opportunity for the District to invest in people and development. Even more so because the course delivery will continue beyond the final year of the current SPF programme (March 2025) for a further two years until March 2027."  

Adding green sustainable skills to its curriculum portfolio is also high on the College's agenda. Vice Principal for Business Growth, Skills and Partnerships, Nancy Buckley, comments: "A key strategic ambition of the College is to deliver a high-quality curriculum that enhances the life opportunities of our learners, the inclusive growth of our communities, and the productivity of the employers with which we work.

"The College is also committed to making a significant contribution to the local and regional economy by enhancing the technical skills, knowledge and industry professional standards of individuals. This investment will support these objectives and compliment well with other similar projects the College is embarking on at Stratford, such as a heat-source pump workshop."