New Brewers academy for students

Painting and decorating students at Wisbech’s new College of West Anglia technology department will benefit from a new partnership with Brewers Decorator Centres and plans for a new academy.

The Brewers Academy, will be the first of its kind in East Anglia, and the partnership means both staff and students are set to benefit from expert knowledge, skills demonstrations at the Ramnoth Road campus and access to specialist products.

Alan Seeley, programme manager for technology at CWA, said: “This academy is the bridge to the trades. It strengthens the relationship between students and future suppliers and employers.

“The new academy status will open up additional work experience opportunities and chances to form relationships with local trades, which will greatly benefit our full-time learners who - unlike our apprentices - do not get as much of a chance to network with trades.”

Brewers are the UK’s largest independent decorator’s merchant, stocking a range of trade paints and supplies, along with designer colours and wallpapers.

Thanks to the partnership, learners are to receive trade cards offering discount in Brewers’ stores and will have a chance to gain work experience with the company. There has also been an agreement of sponsorship for a ‘student of the year’.

John Thorogood, sales representative at Brewers, said: “This not only introduces local trades to CWA but is also a way of us engaging with the students and a way of looking to our future employees and customers.

We will be able to introduce them to areas they could specialise in that they may not have previously considered and products they may never have heard of.”

Pictured at the College of West Anglia Wisbech Campus to launch the new partnership with Brewers, sales rep John Thorogood, second back left, technology programme manager Alan Seeley, third back centre, construction programme manager for the Lynn campus Dermott Brennan, first back left, with course members. (MFCP16PM06019)