Local MPs Melanie Onn and Martin Vickers have inaugurated a £1.5 million training facility at Stallingborough. This new centre aims to bridge the skills gap in the Humber’s transition to green energy.
The £1.5 million training facility at Stallingborough, inaugurated by MPs Melanie Onn and Martin Vickers, is a significant step towards addressing the skills gap in the Humber region’s green energy transition. Funding for the centre has been provided by various industrial sponsors, including Phillips 66 Limited, Harbour Energy, Drax, ABP, Air Products, Uniper, the ECITB, and Humber Freeport.
This expanded facility will enable Catch, the membership organisation overseeing the centre, to more than double its apprentice intake from 100 to approximately 220 apprentices. Additionally, the capacity for welding and grinding bays will be increased to 80, targeting a crucial skills gap in the region.
Catch has ambitious plans to further develop a £60 million National Net Zero Training Centre by 2029. This centre aims to train up to 1,000 learners annually in areas such as carbon capture and storage, gigafactories, hydrogen, and green steel, thereby priming the workforce for the evolving industrial landscape.
MP Melanie Onn highlighted the economic benefits, stating, “Investment in green initiatives like this is vital as we work to grow North East Lincolnshire’s economy. It’s great to see so many businesses putting funding into our area, and I look forward to seeing how things progress as the Humber Skills Plan unfolds.”
Catch CEO David Talbot emphasised the need for skilled tradespeople, saying, “To advance the decarbonisation journey, we urgently need more pipefitters, platers, welders, and fabricators. No single company can do this alone, which is why collaboration has been key in addressing the ever-growing skills gap in these crucial trades. And this collaboration is unprecedented; no other UK cluster has come together to narrow the industrial skills gap so proactively. Catch has always been at the forefront of industrial skills development, and this is just the beginning.”
Paul Fursey, lead executive UK and Humber refinery general manager, remarked, “To build the infrastructure required to deliver net zero for the UK, we need to invest in creating the skilled workforce of tomorrow. Catch’s new welding and fabrication training centre will become a hub of excellence, demonstrating how the UK can increase the knowledge and skills needed to deliver the net zero targets. Through support from Phillips 66 Limited and our fellow delivery sponsors, local industry support, and local schools and colleges, we believe we can make a powerful difference to inspire the next generation of welders, pipefitters, mechanical fitters, platers, scaffolders and much more.”
The new training facility at Stallingborough marks a significant milestone in the Humber region’s efforts to bridge the green skills gap. With substantial investment and collaboration from various industrial sponsors, the centre is poised to become a hub of excellence in green energy skills training, addressing crucial gaps in the workforce and preparing the region for a sustainable future.