Centre of Excellence now open

Award winning logistics training centre opens
October 25th 2006

Northampton College celebrated its Centre of Excellence in Logistics award from the Learning Skills Council on Friday 6th October with the official opening of its new state of the art conference facility in Daventry.

Over 60 guests and members of the public were given the opportunity to experience what the centre has to offer at the event, taking part in various activities and workshops throughout the day. An enthusiastic key note speech from Professor Alan Waller OBE FCILT, President of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Training (CILT) was one of the highlights and marked the official opening.

The new centre is located in the middle of the ‘golden triangle’, encompassing the largest concentration of logistics industry activity in the country, and making it ideally placed to offer logistics training to a huge number of employers and locations.

The College has grown to become one of the largest providers of CILT qualifications in the UK over the last three years, and remains at the cutting edge of logistics training by offering a full range of NVQs in relevant subjects. In addition, the College’s Powerdriver UK associate company delivers a full range of LGV driver and fork lift training, as well as a menu of CPC and support courses based around classroom delivery.

Centre of Vocational Excellence status has given the College a capital grant to create a state of the art conference centre and training facility for use by employers and training organisations in the industry, and also a revenue grant to create a ‘one stop shop’ for all training needs in the industry locally. It means employers across the southern East Midlands can call the Logistics Centre, and know that this one call will produce a provider of training that will meet their needs and will be to the standard of excellence which Northampton College delivers. All partners involved in the CoVE are quality assured and recommended by the CoVE as suitable and quality deliverers of the required skills area or qualification.

During his speech at the event, Professor Waller commended the College’s investment and outlined the importance of logistics and industry training in the global economy, highlighting that many managers involved in the supply chain lack professional training. He said, “There is a hunger for logistics training and qualifications in China and other developing nations which does not exist in the mature economy of the UK. The East Midlands, particularly Northamptonshire, is important in the development of logistics operations and training and the College’s new Centre of Excellence in Logistics will bring positive effects to the industry in Daventry, Northamptonshire and the South East Midlands.”

The Centre is now open and will be running a series of events over the next year involving all areas of the industry. It is also available for hire to the industry for Logistics training or conferences including full catering facilities.

Just  click here for more information.

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