Eddisbury MP Antoinette Sandbach has welcomed the launch of a new Employer Hub at Reaseheath College.

The £2.1 million project, which was supported by the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, will ensure students have the skills they need to meet the changing demands of the increasing high-tech land-based industries.

In addition to encouraging business growth and development by offering tailormade conferencing and seminar facilities, meeting and interview rooms and networking spaces, the Hub will provide employers with the opportunity to launch collaborative research and trials run by undergraduates from University Centre Reaseheath or by the college’s Further Education students.

Providing access to specialist technical resources, from e-journals to industry standard trials facilities, and to the college’s experienced technologists, the Employer Hub will also allow companies to carry out new product development and offer their employees skills training and continuing professional development.

Ms Sandbach said: “The Employment Hub is an exciting project which will not only enable regional and rural businesses to engage with and shape their future workforce, ensuring that they have the skills and experience which employers want and need, but also stimulate innovation and economic growth.

“The Hub is just the latest project in a wider programme of improvements at Reaseheath College which have been supported by a total contribution of £8.8mn from the Local Growth Fund, delivering on the Government’s relentless commitment to improve skills and open up career opportunities for young people.”

Jake Berry MP, Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth said: “Congratulations to Reaseheath College and to Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership for successfully completing this programme of improvements.”