A group of local mums from the Knowle West Children’s Centre are learning new digital and design skills thanks to a £40,000 investment by Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
The women are being trained to operate high-tech equipment including 3D printers and laser cutters at new courses at Knowle West Media Centre.
Employers say they struggle to fill a third of vacancies requiring important digital skills. Everyone on the Mayor’s training course will be put in touch with local firms looking for staff with these key skills. “This means the current crop of Knowle West learners will be in an excellent position to find good-quality jobs in areas such as 2D and 3D design”, says Mr Norris.
The women will also have the opportunity to experiment, prototype and test ideas for their own projects.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “I had a fantastic time visiting Knowle West Media Centre. I saw how local people are manufacturing everything from beautiful, engraved bookmarks to full-sized homes. The skills local residents are learning here are needed right across the region, in construction, manufacturing, TV and film. The Mayoral Authority I lead is determined to make sure talented West of England people get high-skilled jobs.”