Kirklees College is celebrating 12 months working with Flannery Plant Hire.

The main focus of the partnership remains the Kirklees Operator Skills Hub based at the Kirklees College Engineering Centre in Huddersfield.

The skills hub is an ongoing partnership between the college, Kirklees Council, Flannery Plant Hire and BAM Construction, who have all been heavily involved in the wider transformation of Huddersfield town centre.

The skills hub, only the fifth of its kind in the country, is a mobile unit that has two virtual reality plant machinery simulators and classroom facilities for skills bootcamps.

Next to the hub, the college’s land has been transformed into a live construction site with a variety of Flannery plant machinery for adult learners to operate on a live site environment.

The facilities are also helping the college play a part in the TransPennine Route Upgrade.

Steve Plumstead, director of curriculum at Kirklees College, said: “It has been an amazing year working alongside our partners Flannery Plant Hire.

“The partnership and our facilities have allowed learners of all ages in Huddersfield and surrounding areas to gain vital plant machinery operation skills that will help them advance their careers.

“A huge thank you to everyone at Flannery, here’s to another successful twelve months and beyond.”

Paul Skitt, education director at Flannery Plant Hire, said: “Flannery are delighted to be celebrating 12 months of establishing the Kirklees Operator Skills Hub.

“Our partnership with Kirklees College is a testament to excellent partnership work, which enables people entering the construction sector to gain the skills they need to secure sustainable employment.

“We look forward to developing the partnership further over the coming years.”

Aaron Davis, safety and skills director at Flannery Plant Hire, added: “The Kirklees Operator Skills Hub is all about developing skills opportunities for the residents of Huddersfield, Kirklees and the wider West Yorkshire region.

“The hub supports local people into employment, particularly on projects like TRU. We are excited about developing and expanding this partnership further in the future.”

Visitors to the skills hub over the last year have included Colne Valley MP Paul Davies and Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin.

Visit the Operator Skills Hub page of the Kirklees College website to find out more about the project.