Search begins for training base
PLANS for an academy-style training facility have been put before the town council by a Dunmow businessman. Shaun Pledger s idea is to offer future employees from around the area a place to train and make a career for themselves similar to the McDonald s
PLANS for an academy-style training facility have been put before the town council by a Dunmow businessman.
Shaun Pledger's idea is to offer future employees from around the area a place to train and make a career for themselves similar to the McDonald's training scheme.
He said: "We would like to encourage people who have been made redundant, or are jobless, or need to re-train to further themselves at a local place built especially for this purpose."
Mr Pledger, who has proved he has the acumen to handle such a project after masterminding the Great Dunmow Round Table's record breaking bike ride last year, explained to a full town council meeting that he is looking for new premises to start work.
He said: "It is something I have thought about doing for two years but have really gone to work on in the last six months. My company employs over 60 local people and we provide local funding for many projects and facilities.
"We are proud to be a supporter of Dunmow, I think its time that businesses like mine gave something back to the community."
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Mr Pledger is managing director of Alloy Fabweld Ltd, a Dunmow based metal works located on the Chelmsford Road industrial estate.
He said: "The current premises are too small to house this idea so I am looking for somewhere cheap. I have enquired about the land next to the new police station but it is proving expensive. If there was spare space on any industrial estate we would use that but there isn't and I don't want to be forced out to Braintree with this project. I want to keep it very local."
The training wouldn't just benefit the company though, Mr Pledger explained. The idea is to give trainees skills for life that they can use anywhere.
He said: "With my plans we are aiming for classes of between 15 and 20 people at a time. If two of them work at my company that would be great but it is not the goal of this project. I want to get people off benefits or the streets and give them an opportunity in life.