In many notable sentences in TTE’s last ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report is:
“Tutors develop a wide range of strategies to ensure that learning is realistic and relevant to the workplace. They work closely with employers to ensure that the curriculum reflects the skills that employers need in ever-changing industrial workplaces.”
TTE is group training association established by member companies based in the area to provide education and training for the chemical, petrochemical, oil, gas, process manufacturing, pharmaceutical and nuclear industries throughout the north-west of England.
These are sectors that are, indeed, “ever-changing”, partly through necessity and the prevailing ‘climate’ and partly because of the ambitions of the various local councils, including Cheshire West and Chester, part of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership which works closely with the key industrial players.
Key regional strengths
Much of our region’s early economic success was founded on the Chemicals industry which still plays a significant part in the local and national economy. Some of the earliest research into biofuels was carried out at the then Shell Technology Centre in Thornton. Now owned by the University of Chester, it dates back to the 1930s with research into the development of aircraft engines and fuels and later high performance mote engine oils and fuels.
It sits next to Essar Oil UK’s oil refinery which produces at least 16% of the UK’s road transport fuels, as well as two billion litres of jet fuel each year and has a chemical plant on site which manufactures polymers, lubricants and detergent alcohols.
Our pharmaceutical industries also enjoy a global reputation. For example, Alderley Park has been home to some of the most skilled an experienced scientists for more than 50 years and is now home to more than 150 biotech and life sciences businesses.
Energy and the Environment is also a particular regional strength. We have an established and growing cluster of industrial expertise in clean energy and energy innovation.
For example, Birchwood Park is home to much of the country’s nuclear industry, including National Nuclear Laboratories, Rolls Royce Nuclear, Wood and the Nuclear Innovation Research Office. The research, engineering and design capabilities of these companies is at the core of the next generation of nuclear power stations and the decommissioning of existing plants in the UK and across the world.
Cheshire and Warrington at Capenhurst is also researching the implications for energy network uptake from the growing use of electric vehicles. Protos near Ellesmere Port is a strategic energy hub which aims to deliver low-carbon energy directly to industrial customers through a local energy grid with a local CO2 network capturing their emissions.
New technologies
Finally, opportunities for developments in hydrogen and geothermal heat networks are beginning to come to the fore.
In January this year Cheshire West and Chester council approved plans for the UK’s largest hydrogen production hub in Ellesmere Port which aims to help industry in the region transition to lower-carbon fuels. The plans were put forward by EET Hydrogen, a joint venture between Essar Oil UK and hydrogen specialists Progressive Energy.
New developments like this mean new jobs. And where there are jobs, the best recruits are needed, especially from the local area. The region and its world renowned and established industries depend upon it.
And that’s where TTE comes in. Ofsted inspectors reported:
“Leaders have developed excellent partnerships with local and regional employers, thus creating excellent opportunities for learners and apprentices to develop very successful careers in the engineering and manufacturing sector.”
Inspectors also observed: “Tutors and training officers make excellent use of their extensive industrial knowledge and experience to develop apprentices’ technical knowledge and skills quickly, which they apply competently and confidently in the workplace.”
Every year we adapt, evolve and improve our training programmes to make sure our apprentices are both industry and life ready, so that they can take full advantage of the ever-changing industrial landscapes and use their robust and transferable skills to the best of their ability.