Degree Level Apprenticeships

A Skills Factory, located at MEA Park, will enhance the industrial skills of the Liverpool City Region by offering degree level apprenticeships. These will be facilitated by the Manufacturing Technology Centre, a Government project established to drive skills in manufacturing.

Working in partnership with local colleges, including Wirral Metropolitan College and the North West Engineering College, the Skills Factory will incorporate state of the art campus facilities with classrooms and workshops designed and purpose-built for the teaching of industrial and manufacturing skills.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre, in conjunction with Peel Waters, has formally submitted a £4m funding application to the Liverpool City Region’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) to build the Skills Factory at Wirral Waters.

Upskilling the City Region

The plans for MEA Park and the Skills Factory will address a significant skills shortage and will deliver a positive social impact for the Liverpool City Region. This project is all about upskilling the City Region’s workforce and building on its key strengths and growth sectors, in particular, the energy sector, through offshore wind and civil nuclear, and the automotive industry.

A Phased Approach

Phase 1 will involve the conversion of the existing 42,000 sq ft Mobil building intended as a Government R&D Catapult Centre. This will be a research centre for modular construction and digital design. It is envisaged that Phase 2 will be a multi-unit project of circa 70,000 sq ft intended for engineering supply chains in the energy, maritime and automotive sectors.

Industrial Growth

Alongside the Maritime Knowledge Hub, MEA Park will form the industrial heart of Wirral Waters where over 20,000 permanent jobs will be created and where innovation, research, skills and training will drive industrial growth on a global scale.

MEA Park will build on key strengths and growth sectors, in particular, the Energy Sector – offshore wind and civil nuclear – as well as automotive in supporting Jaguar Land Rover in Halewood, GM Vauxhall and Bentley.

Renewable Energy

A renewable Energy Centre will deliver a 6MW biomass energy centre to serve MEA Park, potentially the Wirral Streetcar project and the wider neighbourhoods.

A Mersey Enterprise Zone

MEA Park is part of the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone, which means that the local authority can retain 100% of business rates from tenants. These rates are then reinvested back into the Enterprise Zone to create jobs, rates and homes. This creates a recyclable fund which will benefit the area for the long term. The site also benefits from Enhanced Capital Allowances within the Enterprise Zone.

Project partners: Wirral Council and Cammell Laird.