New enterprise hub to launch in North Shropshire
A new enterprise hub is set to be launched at a north Shropshire college after it secured two grants to transform empty buildings.
Walford and North Shropshire College will build the new hub, including offices, co-working space and a mixture of individual and hot desks for rent by entrepreneurs and owners of micro-businesses.
The project will see a redundant estate workshop and storage area, originally the old cannery, transformed.
A second project will see a new, self-contained rural skills centre built in a redundant Grade II listed former stable block on the site.
It will help learners with niche subject areas, giving expertise which can be translated into the business world at a later date.
The move comes after Walford secured two grants from the Marches LEP's Redundant Buildings Grants Scheme, which is designed to allow businesses to transform vacant farm buildings or office units into functional business spaces.
College principal Andrew Tyley said: "Receiving the grants from the LEP means that we're able to significantly expand the facilities at the college and welcome additional students to join us.
"We anticipate an additional 120 apprentices using our facilities and this will equate to 120 new jobs in the region – a figure that puts the importance of this grant scheme in to context."
The LEP's new chairman Graham Wynn added: "The Redundant Buildings Grant Scheme aims to breathe new life in to unused buildings across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin and in doing so bring them back in to productive economic use.
"The fact that the enlarged facilities at Walford and North Shropshire College are not only already creating jobs, but that they will be equipping young people with the skills to better their employment prospects, underpins the very existence of the grant. We wish the college a very happy future in its new facilities."
Also on offer as part of the new hub's membership scheme will be access to IT networks, copiers, generic office services and a wealth of advice and guidance from the advisors on site.
The college hopes to use the new centre to provide a boost to self-employment and entrepreneurialism across north Shropshire.
The second project will provide additional classroom and workshop space to meet the college's growing needs, with one in particular being used by the Rural Skills team to deliver "licence to operate" programmes such as pesticide applications.
The new facilities and additional space will allow over 300 additional learners to access these courses and secure their own future employment in these niche areas.
