Page 6 - Destination Chesterfielfd:: Billion Pound Town

62 DerbyshireTimes www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk Thursday,September13,2018
Chesterfield: a great place to learn
We’re leading the way on learning
College, university campus and apprenticeships offer a huge range of study options
Chesterfield offers a great range of options for people looking to learn new skills and gain the qualifications they need for the job they want.
The town is leading the coun- try when it comes to appren- ticeships, having declared itself England’s first Appren- tice Town last year.
Apprentice Town is a part- nership that seeks to develop Chesterfield as a leading ap- prenticeship destination, growing individual careers alongside the local business and economy. Its steering group is made up of a number of apprentice providers across the area.
A huge range of employ- ers benefit from the appren- ticeships and commercial training services provided by Learning Unlimited, part of the Chesterfield College Group.
The organisation works with 4,000 apprentices and 1,900 employers. There are more than 50 apprentice- ship programmes available in a huge range of careers from engineering to digital mar- keting and health care to con- struction.
Julie Richards, principal and chief executive of the Chesterfield College Group, said: “Apprenticeships are a vital way for local employers to get the skills they need.
“Initiatives such as the Ap- prentice Town in Chesterfield are really helping to raise the profile of why apprenticeships work for so many.
Alongside Chesterfield College, the St Helena campus of Derby University in Ches- terfield offers further oppor- tunities for learning.
The £6.9 million Universi- ty Campus on Sheffield Road includes a state-of-0f-the art
‘Apprenticeships are a vital
way for local employers to get the skills they need’
mock hospital ward, com- plete with teaching facilities, a nurses’ station, patient bath- room, patient mobility equip- ment and simulated-learning patients to provide a lifelike taste of working in a modern hospital for those training to work in the health sector.
The University of Derby has been ranked in the Top 30 in The Guardian Univer- sity Guide 2019. Derby is now ranked 29th after jumping from 54th place out of 121 in- stitutions making it the sixth most improved university in the country.
Chesterfield: a great place to connect
Area’s outstanding transport links put it right at the heart of the country
Location, location, location is key
There are some things which come simply come down to luck – and, for Chesterfield, geography is certainly one of them.
The town is located right in the very heart of the country and on the main M1 motorway, offering firms easy access to the rest of the UK.
The town is close to sever- al airports and, whilst being landlocked, is actually only 90 minutes away from no fewer than four major ports.
And now the Government has confirmed that high speed trains will be calling into Chesterfield as part of the HS2 route, the area is set to be even better connected.
The move would see jour- ney times from Chesterfield to London cut to just one hour and 15 minutes.
Ambitious plans to bring the high-speed rail-line HS2 through North Derbyshire would see a 54-acre mainte- nance depot built in the Stave-
LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION
4
Major airports
Markham Vale
which has its own direct access to the M1
ough Council, told the Der- byshire Times: “HS2 offers a once-in-a-generation oppor- tunity to benefit both Ches- terfield and the wider north Derbyshire and Peak District area.
“As part of the HS2 station masterplan announced last year, we are looking at options to improve the approach to the railway station and better connect it to the town centre, creating easy access to shop-
ping, bars and restaurants. “This would involve creat- ing a better walking and pub- lic transport link from the station, across the A61 and into the town centre, as well as linking it up to the Chester- field Waterside development. “We are also looking at the possibility of a new link road to the railway station which would help reduce traffic con- gestion in the town centre,”
she added.
Within
90
minutes
INVEST IN
CHESTERFIELD
Ports
Easy access
4
Located on the
M1 Corridor
Development ready site at
HS2 trains could cut the journey timetoLondontojust75minutes
ley Works area, securing 250 jobs – wider parts of the HS2 scheme include creating space for 1,500 homes.
The arrival of HS2 trains into Chesterfield could also mark a transformation of the area around the station, to create a “regional hub” which would be able to handle traf- fic from commuters travelling across the UK.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Bor-
www.chesterfield.co.uk/invest
Supported by the 2014 - 2020 European Regional Development Fund