Cosford Expansion Hopes
 

Jobs boost mooted for RAF Cosford Dec 27 2004

RAF Cosford is being pushed as a contender to become the base for the UK's military defence training - bringing 700 civilian jobs to the area.

The Ministry of Defence is carrying out a Defence Training Review that will lead to £21 billion of training provision being outsourced to the private sector by 2008.

Three bids have been received from consortia vying for the contract. The Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering at RAF Cosford has been identified as one of the potential sites and regional development agency Advantage West Midlands, along with a partnership of local authorities, the Wolverhampton Telford Technology Corridor and other partners, are working to ensure the Bridgnorth site is promoted successfully.

Alongside the civilian jobs boost, the successful site would benefit from a range of spin-offs from the training, research and defence facilities.

AWM chief executive, John Edwards, said: "The timing of the decision is still unclear - what we need to do is put the pressure on and make it perfectly clear to the MoD and the consortia that RAF Cosford is the best place in the country to base the facility."

"Competition is sure to be fierce which is why it is absolutely imperative we get as much support as possible for this.

"Cosford has the links, existing facilities, location and infrastructure to fit the bill, as well as the capacity for expansion, but we must present the case to the consortia."

Wolverhampton Telford Technology Corridor director Mike Norris said: "I'm confident that if we all get behind Cosford and promote the strengths, networks and benefits that the region has."

Great more civilianisation - just what we wanted.

Thought part of the Deep Cut enquiry called for more military instructors etc . . . - not that we didn't know that already! :D

Cosford is not the only option for the training provision, just one of the bidders ....
As the sign near the fence says; DCAE Cosford, the home of RAF Cosford - personally i thought it was the other way around.:)

Also in the running are the Army base at Blandford Dorset Home of the Royal Signals and HMS Sultan in Gosport.

What training is this? Engineers?

Genuine question, not banter!!

16B

Engineer Training? They're planning to give engineers training? Whatever next....

I know what you mean Beags - I mean, it was difficult enough before, but it's going to be an even more arduous task to house train them now...

With all of 'our' training now requiring a qaud service approach - Light Blue, Dark Blue, Green and pin striped ..:mad: .. 'we' will end up with about 5 training agencies specialising in discipline areas - Cosford is mooted as the Aeronautical Engineering centre of Excellence :O

Eng studes from sleaford tech will also undergo certain courses at the new centre:D

[spelling edit - new keyboard ...]

Wasn't that what Trenchard Hall was supposed to be for?

But with the much reduced number required in the future all training curren;tly geographically spread about can be centralised at somewhere, probly not too far from swindon, thereby releasing much expensive real estate on the edge of the River Dart, near Lincoln and in Surrey :eek: