ALMOST £200,000 in funding is available to north west manufacturing companies who want their key personnel to benefit from a nationally recognised qualification.

The Diploma in Manufacturing course, run by The Manufacturing Institute in Manchester, is the only one of its kind in the UK to be designed by industry experts for manufacturing personnel.

This diploma equips managers, supervisors and team leaders with the skills to plan and implement improved manufacturing performance within their companies.

Funding to help meet the fees of the course, which starts in October, has come through £140,000 from Manchester Enterprises and another £50,000 from the North West Regional Development Agency.

Senior industrial practitioners and academic experts from eight of the top UK universities and 20 manufacturing organisations deliver the two-year course. It is an open-entry programme, expressly aimed at personnel who may have few formal qualifications and several years of practical manufacturing experience.

For further information about the diploma course and funding assistance, please contact The Manufacturing Institute 0161 872 0393.