Leading apprenticeship provider JTL has officially opened its brand-new training centre in Medway, following a £2 million investment to expand high-quality electrical training across Kent.
The centre, located at Sun Pier in Chatham, was formally opened at a launch event attended by Mayor of Medway, Councillor Douglas Hamandishe, Sir John Low, Chair of the JTL Board, and Chris Claydon, JTL’s Chief Executive, alongside employers, industry stakeholders and local skills representatives.
This significant investment has transformed the building previously occupied by BBC Radio Kent into a modern, industry-led training facility. The centre has capacity to train upwards of 200 apprentices each year, directly supporting the regional economy and providing opportunities for those Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs). It features fully equipped electrical training bays providing industry-standard equipment, as well as a hybrid classroom for practical and desk-based learning, four classrooms, an Inspection and Test area, exam room and End Point Assessment (EPA) preparation area.
The centre supports apprentices from across Kent and the South of England, and aligns closely with regional skills priorities in construction and retrofit. There are plans for the centre to provide plumbing apprenticeship training in the future.
Guests at the official opening event were invited to tour the new facilities, meet JTL apprentices and expert training staff, and see first-hand how the new specialist centre is preparing learners for real-world work environments. The event also provided opportunities for employers and local partners to network and explore how JTL supports businesses with apprenticeship recruitment and training, in particular its site-experienced Tutors and dedicated Training Officers.
Employers in the electrical sector are predominantly Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), and this event provided opportunity for employers to meet young people interested in starting an apprenticeship and visit exhibition stands from leading industry suppliers and manufacturers including Edmundson Electrical, Milwaukee, JIB, Scolmore and Schneider.
Cllr Douglas Hamandishe, Mayor of Medway, said: “It was a pleasure to attend the official opening of JTL’s Medway centre. Facilities like this are vital in ensuring young people and career changes can access high-quality technical training, while supporting the development of skills needed for the future. It was fantastic to meet some of the brilliant apprentices and the employers they are working for and to hear how they will all benefit from JTL’s new training centre.”
Sir John Low, Chair of JTL’s Board of Trustees, said: “The new Medway centre demonstrates JTL’s long-term commitment to the highly skilled trades of electrical services, and to investing in the future of the region. By providing apprentices with access to industry-standard equipment and specialist training in occupations in desperate need of skilled tradespeople, we’re helping to address skills shortages while supporting the UK’s journey towards a more sustainable built environment.
“Each apprenticeship depends on employer backing to give them the work placement so we are committed to supporting employers in meeting demand, and pressing the Government to make these commitments a reality.”
Skills England’s latest Skills Assessment published this month identifies electrotechnical occupations (including electricians) as priority roles expected to see significant growth, particularly due to net zero, construction, and infrastructure needs. It notes that supply is not keeping pace, with shortages driven by training gaps and workforce attrition, and identifies electricians as a priority occupation requiring urgent expansion of skills pipelines.
The refurbished Medway training centre is now fully operational and welcoming apprentices, employers and partners from across the region, supporting the development of a skilled electrical workforce to meet growing demand linked to retrofit, energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies.
