East Midlands Freeport commits £2m to boost regional skills

East Midlands Freeport has announced a significant investment exceeding £2m aimed at training a new generation of students for careers in advanced manufacturing and clean energy. This funding initiative is part of a broader strategy to create tens of thousands of jobs and significantly enhance the regional economy through inward investment at its three tax sites: the East Midlands Intermodal Park near Derby, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site in south Nottinghamshire, and the East Midlands Airport Gateway Industrial Cluster.

The Freeport plans to allocate some funds from its £25m Seed Capital investment fund towards a comprehensive training programme. This initiative, focused on the Future Energy Skills Hub (FESH), will be spearheaded by the East Midlands Institute of Technology (East Midlands IoT). This consortium includes Derby College Group, Loughborough College, the University of Derby, Loughborough University, and various business partners, promoting high-quality technical training and qualifications.

Starting from September 2025, East Midlands IoT will commence FESH courses offering higher technical skills tailored not only to industries directly involved in advanced manufacturing and clean energy but also to a broader range of companies transitioning to clean energy.

Tom Newman-Taylor, CEO of East Midlands Freeport, commented, “We’re fully committed to delivering on the Government’s mission of increasing growth and creating new opportunities for people, communities and businesses in the process. The Freeport is the biggest growth initiative in the East Midlands, and we are delighted to be supporting a project which means the benefits of that growth will be felt by people and communities.”

Technical courses currently available at East Midlands IoT, which align with FESH’s objectives, include sustainable engineering, renewable energy systems technology, manufacturing engineering, and artificial intelligence and data science.

Rachel Quinn, Executive Director of the East Midlands Institute of Technology, stated, “East Midlands Freeport has made a significant and welcome investment to develop the technical skills needed by the region’s clean energy businesses. With the expertise of the East Midlands IoT’s academic partners and the business know-how of its corporate partners, we will help a new generation of highly-skilled students into rewarding careers, which will boost the local economy and drive decarbonisation in our region.”

In addition to the skills hub, East Midlands Freeport’s Seed Capital Investment Fund will also support the development of a Zero Carbon Innovation Centre next year by the universities of Nottingham and Loughborough.

Image of Rachel and Tom: source Freeport