BLACKBURN-based Training 2000, the largest Group Training Association in England, has been awarded approved centre status by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), making it one of only two providers in the North West to hold the prestigious accolade.

ECITB is responsible for the development of the qualifications and the training of the UK’s engineering construction workforce and only selects providers with the necessary commitment and expertise to support the consistent delivery of its qualifications.

Training 2000 will now be able to offer most of the ECITB Apprenticeship courses including Steel Erecting, Design and Draughting and Project Control.

In addition to offering ECITB courses to its current learners, the accreditation means that businesses which have never worked with Training 2000 before will send their employees to the centre in Blackburn for the specialist courses. Paul Duerden, business leader — engineering at Training 2000, said: “It is an honour for us to have been recognised in this way by the ECITB.

“To be one of its approved centres means that we can not only offer courses to our current learners, but also provide training for companies in the region that we may have never worked with before, which is great news.”

Rob Kember, North West Regional Account Manager at ECITB, said: “Offering learners uncompromised training facilities is really important to the ECITB, which is why we take care to assess all our approved training providers. It is a pleasure to have Training 2000 on board and I look forward to working with them.”