MPs tour North Lancs Training Group's Vocational Centre of Excellence

Antony Higginbotham, MP for Burnley, and Sara Britcliffe, MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, were recently invited for a tour of the facilities at NLTG’s (North Lancs Training Group) Vocational Centre of Excellence.

The Accrington-based training provider, which provides Apprenticeships and Traineeships along with free courses for people of all ages who are not currently in work, houses state-of-the-art, practical and hands-on training facilities at its Old Bakery site.

Specialising in furniture and catering and hospitality at the Centre of Excellence, members of the NLTG team proudly showed the local MPs around their Grange Lane base including the purpose-built training kitchen and NL 50 Restaurant which opened in 2010 as part of a £2.4m investment in the premises, enabling training for chefs and cooks and Front of House training including Barista, bar and cellar management, and both table and silver service.

Mr Higginbotham said: “It’s been brilliant to come to North Lancs Training Group and see what they do.

“The quality of their facilities is what stands out the most, because that’s what is most important when you’re a person trying to get into the job market for the first time, having those real-life facilities that replicate what your employer has got and that’s what NLTG do so brilliantly.”

Ms Britcliffe added: “It’s been fantastic to be able to show Antony Higginbotham, MP for Burnley, what a fantastic facility we have here at North Lancs Training Group, in the heart of Hyndburn and Accrington.

“It just shows the work that is going on in our local communities and beyond, and the fantastic difference it makes to people’s lives.”

Carl Morris, JCP Provision Manager at North Lancs Training Group, commented: “We have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming both Antony and Sara to our Old Bakery site.

“We are extremely proud of what we do here and our facilities, and with 300+ Apprenticeship vacancies available across the region, it’s been great to showcase a bit of what we do to our local MPs.”

More information about NLTG’s Apprenticeships, Traineeships and courses can be found on their website www.nltg.co.uk.