The Blair Project to train 500 people in green tech skills in 2022

The Blair Project, a social enterprise based in Greater Manchester, is aiming to upskill 500 people from the region in 2022.

This comes after the business adapted its schools-focused, hands-on STEM training in 2021, to ensure the course would also be suitable for adults who were looking to upskill or reskill following the pandemic.

The initial two cohorts, trained in 2021, consisted of 16 adults, all of which undertook training, delivered by The Blair Project, at The Sharp Project, just off Thorp Road, in a scheme sponsored by Job Centre Plus. During the training, the group learned skills and got hands on experience in battery technologies, electric motors, powertrain systems, computer-aided design, 3D printing and sensor technologies. Following the training programmes, 10 participants have now gone on to careers in STEM, with two joining The Blair Project full time.

As a result of the successful pilot, The Blair Project has set its sights on significantly increasing the number of people it will train in 2022.

The increase in trainees will be supported through the opening of the Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH), located at Bruntwood Sci Tech’s Base at Manchester Science Park. Set to launch in September, MIAH will provide rapid upskilling, reskilling and retraining of local residents. Participants will be fast-tracked into hard-to-fill occupations requiring specialist technical skills as part of Greater Manchester’s post-COVID recovery plan.

Ahead of MIAH launching later in the year Bruntwood SciTech, is supporting The Blair Project by finding an alternative workspace within a UK-leading automotive business.

Meanwhile, a series of partnerships will bolster The Blair Project’s training capacity. In 2021, The Blair Project secured partnerships with the government-funded Emerging Skills Partnership and Warwick Manufacturing Group alongside Job Centre Plus, with further partnerships due to be announced in 2022.

Kevin Phung, one of the first adults to participate in the training provided by The Blair Project,  said: “After losing my job as a chef due to the pandemic, I felt uncertain about the future. The industry I knew was heavily affected, and I needed to look elsewhere but wasn’t sure where to start. I was pointed to The Blair Project by Jobcentre Plus so I applied to train. Over two weeks I learnt so much and discovered a passion for mechanical engineering. After leaving, I joined The Blair Project full-time as an engineering apprentice and haven’t looked back since.”

Nile Henry, CEO and founder of The Blair Project, said: “2022 is set to be an important year for green skills. The training we’re able to provide and the launch of MIAH are going to be incredibly significant for Manchester, filling the region’s green skills gap, developing a highly-skilled talent pool and giving businesses what they need to succeed.

“The partnership with Jobcentre Plus has been game-changing for us. We’re pleased to say the 500-strong 2022 cohort will include 300 students from Jobcentre Plus. We will also have three students who trained with us in 2021 delivering training for the new cohorts this year. We’re very proud to being helping to fill the green skills gap as well as creating the next generation of green skills leaders and trainers.”