United Utilities training centre opened

Pictured with Steve Mogford

I was delighted to officially opend a new training centre in Leigh which will play a pivotal role in keeping the North West flowing.

The United Utilities (UU) centre, at Hope Carr Terrace, will provide a wide range of training for the water company's 5,000 strong North West workforce.

Water and wastewater engineers, senior managers, apprentices, call centre operatives and back office staff are all expected to pass through the doors of the training centre, as United Utilities continues to up-skill its workforce, in order to deliver the best possible customer service and operational performance across the region.

United Utilities is a major employer in my constituency, and a key service provider across the North West. It is encouraging to see the company's strong commitment to developing its employees, so that they can deliver a high quality service to the communities they serve. My thanks to United Utilities for inviting me to the official launch. I'm sure the centre will become a real hub for learning and innovation in the water industry.

The purpose designed training centre will be open five days per week, delivering courses ranging from leadership modules to first aid training. It has eight training rooms, including two dedicated IT training suites, and a capacity for 100 people.

Steve Mogford, United Utilities Chief Executive told me that last year, UU delivered more than 24,000 days of training to their employees and that the new facility will play an essential role in helping them to develop the skills of employees, so that all our people, can deliver the best possible service to the seven million customers who rely on them every day.