George Osborne, the Chancellor, praised Derby for representing "everything that is right" about the British economy as he opened the Rolls-Royce Apprentice Academy, at the firm's Learning and Career Development Centre, in Wilmore Road, Sinfin.
The centre, which has cost around £6 million to create, will not only train Rolls-Royce apprentices but will also train young people who work for the firm's suppliers and other manufacturing companies across the region. Before the centre was created, Rolls-Royce trained around 200 apprentices a year. The academy, which has been funded jointly by Rolls-Royce and the Government, will double that number.
Mr Osborne hailed the centre as a "fantastic facility" and huge asset to the city and country. He said, "Derby is home to a number of great global companies like Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Bombardier that compete on the world stage. In many ways, Derby represents everything that is right with the British economy. It is a powerhouse for hi-tech engineering. So facilities like the Rolls-Royce Apprentice Academy are so important not only to Derby's future, but to the whole country."
The three-storey, 3,850 square metre academy includes a conference room, meeting rooms, classrooms and workshops, which have been filled with the same equipment found on Rolls-Royce's production line.
