News

A NEW “learning shop” is being launched at the Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre, Birkenhead, as part of a new strategic partnership between Wirral Metropolitan College and Warner Estate Holdings, which owns and asset manages the centre along with Cavern Walks in Liverpool.

This exciting addition to the centre is designed to promote the value of learning in the heart of the Wirral community. The college helps local businesses to recruit and train their workforce and its new Employer Services facility provides training solutions designed to meet the precise needs of business.

The new town centre location, next to Marks & Spencer, will allow the college to provide information about ways to improve career prospects. With more than 19,000 learner enrolments every year, Wirral Met also provides skills development for many local employers.

As part of the learning shop, the partnership will offer a Retail Academy to serve the outlets in the Grange and Pyramids and Cavern Walks. The service will help retail employers to develop business training solutions that will support their current workforce, support skills development for the recruitment of new staff and identify funding to assist business training.

The college has also secured more than £1m funding to support people who have been, or are about to be, made redundant, with retraining and help to develop skills to position them to secure alternative employment. A programme called Choices will be run from the shop to specifically support this initiative.
Mike Potter CBE, principal of Wirral Metropolitan College, said: “We are delighted to be leading this new initiative that will help us to support local employers and raise the profile of the important role education and training plays for both business and individuals within our community.”

In addition to providing support for retail organisations, having a shop in the centre of town will allow shoppers and members of the public to find out how learning can change their lives. Wirral Met offers education and training at every level, in all of the sector skills areas and information, advice and guidance about the whole range of opportunities will be available in the shop.

Derek Millar, commercial director for the Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre for Warner Estate Holdings, commented: “We are pleased to be working alongside Wirral Metropolitan College in this new venture and are positive that it will provide the local community with unique opportunities to develop skills, gain qualifications and improve their future career prospects.”

Ro Murphy, vice-chairman of Wirral Investment Network (WIN), added: “In what are very challenging economic times, WIN members will welcome an initiative such as this, which will provide vital support right where it is needed for all sectors in Wirral, both individuals and the varied business community.”