YOUNG people looking to improve their skills are set to benefit from a £5,000 grant

The grant has been handed to the Northern Logistics Academy, which is based at St Helens College and specialises in logistics and transport training.

It is hoped that the new scholarship fund will provide some financial support towards tuition fees for courses which include fork lift driving and warehousing.

Ian Rippin, the college’s commercial director, said: “The grant presents an exciting opportunity for those new to, or currently working in logistics but with no training or qualifications to gain a recognised qualification.

“The launch of the scholarship will help us in addressing the skills shortage currently facing the logistics industry.”

The grant came from Network Space, a commercial real estate developer, investor and manager specialising in the industrial, warehouse and the logistics sector.

In 2015, St Helens College and Knowsley Community College successfully gained approval from Liverpool City Region’s Growth Deal fund on a collaborative £3 million bid to develop the specialist training academy.

Richard Ainscough, Network Space’s managing director, said: “The academy is a fantastic facility which will prove to be a real asset, not only for our home town of St Helens but for the wider Northern regions.

“Network Space is committed to providing the North of England with the highest quality industrial buildings and warehouses and it makes sense for us to support the academy so that it can train logistics professionals to complement them.”

The funding is limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis and will cover up to 50 per cent of the tuition fee.

However,dependent on the course and an applicant’s circumstances, government funding may entitle applicants to 100 per cent tuition fee support.

Find out more, including eligibility criteria at https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/QGWGCP7wwsvOL6WhzgWk0.