Burnley College and Themis to expand Centre of Engineering Excellence

Burnley College and Themis are taking progressive action to address the local skills shortages within advanced engineering and manufacturing.

The build is a significant investment from the College to support advanced manufacturing employers and an opportunity to put Pennine Lancashire at the forefront of industry innovation and development.

The Centre is set to include a host of new industry advanced manufacturing equipment, including 3D printing and ‘Faro Arm’ with laser line scanning. The development will also include new workshops and training zones, a state of the art CAD/CAM drawing suite, a composite materials clean-room, aircraft fitting and sheet-metal sections and a viewing gallery.

Local employers have been instrumental in the project’s development and continue to consult with the College as the development takes shape.

Kris Mercer from Darwen based WEC Group says: “The expansion of the Centre of Engineering Excellence will give our apprentices the opportunity to train with the latest engineering technology. This will stand the College as one of the finest engineering training facilities in the UK.” The multi-million pound investment is due for completion in September 2014.