The WMCA has invested the money into a Sector-Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) based at City of Wolverhampton College (CoWC). The programme provides the skills people need to land engineering jobs associated with the drinks industry, including how to maintain beer pumps so landlords can continue pulling the perfect pint.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, announced the investment during a visit to CoWC’s Drinks Dispensary Academy, based at their Paget Road campus in Compton where he also took the opportunity to meet the apprentices, see them in action and hear first hand how they are benefitting from the skills

The Drinks Academy is a training facility, working with employers such as Coca Cola and Budweiser, to help bring new apprentices into the region’s food and drink sector. It is equipped with a range of industry-standard equipment - including a working cellar, beer pulls and pumps, drinks coolers and soft drinks equipment and is used by employers in the beverage industry to train staff to install and maintain dispensing equipment in pubs, clubs, cafes, theatres and sports stadia.

 Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said, “I’m pleased to have had the chance to meet apprentices directly benefitting from this facility - equipping our region’s workforce with the skills they need to succeed in the sought after engineering sector.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in making this bespoke training programme a reality. Initiatives like this boost employment prospects for local people.

“Given the range of drinks produced in this facility, it’s also good to see a focus on the provision of low sugar and zero alcohol drinks - supporting our commitment to promoting health and well-being.”

Figures from the Food and Drink Federation show that the West Midlands has more than 34,000 people working within the industry in nearly 1,000 businesses.  The sector accounts for £800m worth of exports and is worth around £1.7bn a year to the regional economy.

With employers actively recruiting each month for in-demand roles within the sector, coupled with the need for existing staff to learn new and evolving skills, investment into training programmes like this is considered vital to help both new entrants and those already in the sector to continually upskill.

Cllr George Duggins, WMCA portfolio holder for skills and productivity, and leader of Coventry City Council, said, “This is an excellent example of a training facility that that is working with business and supporting local people to develop the skills they need to enter careers in the engineering sector. It also supports our commitment to identify and address the skills that employers need in the drinks sector which is crucial in our region.”

Mal Cowgill, principal and chief executive of CoWC, said: "Drinks companies have a continuous need for suitably qualified technicians to install and maintain dispensing equipment, and our training academy has put Wolverhampton on the map as the go-to place to train new staff and upskill existing staff with the latest industry knowledge. It has been a pleasure to welcome the Mayor to our facility and for him to see the skills in action."

Mal Cowgill, principal and chief executive of CoWC and Richard Hewitt, interim head of apprenticeships, welcomed the Mayor to the facility, along with key employer sponsors of the Academy; John Gormley, Operations manager at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I and Paul Hughes, Field Service Manager at Coca-Cola Enterprises.