A major new skills partnership has been launched in Plymouth to strengthen the city’s position as one of the UK’s leading centres for engineering and advanced manufacturing.
The new Plymouth Manufacturers’ Group (PMG) Academy at City College Plymouth brings together industry and education to create a direct pipeline of talent into high-value jobs across the city’s thriving manufacturing and engineering sector.
The Academy is designed to support young people aged 16-18 progressing into further education at level 2, as well as adults looking to reskill or retrain into one of the UK’s most in-demand industries. It will provide students with advanced manufacturing and engineering skills that form a strong foundation for progression into Apprenticeships with PMG members or onto advanced level qualifications.
Plymouth is one of the UK’s most significant manufacturing and engineering hubs. Around 16,577 people are employed in the sector locally, accounting for approximately 14% of all employment in the city – one of the highest concentrations in the country. Plymouth is also ranked first in the South West for manufacturing and engineering employment concentration, and ninth nationally.
The sector contributes approximately £1.118 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local economy, with PMG member organisations collectively generating more than £2.7 billion in annual turnover, underlining the scale and importance of advanced manufacturing to Plymouth’s prosperity.
The new Academy aims to align skills development directly with employer needs, ensuring students are equipped with the technical capability, behaviours, and industry awareness required to thrive in modern manufacturing environments.
Read the full press release here.
