This morning, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, met with students and staff during a visit to Harlow College's state-of-the-art, £11 million Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Centre (HAMEC), welcomed by Robert Halfon, Conservative Candidate for Harlow and the Villages.

In an exciting tour of the building, which opened in March 2017, Mr Javid and Mr Halfon spoke with engineering apprentices and students about the skills they are learning through their courses in Advanced Manufacturing, Operational Maintenance, Aerospace and Civil Engineering.

Following £4.5 million of Government investment to build the cutting-edge facilities, Mr Javid and Mr Halfon saw the incredible results of effective cooperation between businesses in Harlow, working with the College to deliver exciting courses for people of all ages.

Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: "It’s great to be here today at Harlow College, with Harlow’s biggest champion ever, Robert Halfon, who has done so much for this place including helping to develop this Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Centre. 

"A project like this, with a third of the funding coming from Government, is just what I want much more of."

Robert Halfon said: "I was absolutely thrilled to welcome the Chancellor to Harlow today - and what a fantastic opportunity to speak to apprentices and students at Harlow College's Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Centre, Journalism School and Catering Department.

"Thanks to Government investment, the £11 million Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Centre at Harlow College is offering incredible courses and giving people in Harlow the skills they need to climb the ladder of opportunity. 

"Today, we saw that Harlow has so much to offer. With more than 6,000 apprenticeship-starts in Harlow since 2010, people of all ages are getting the skills and education they need to thrive in the fast-changing world of work.

"Thank you to all the amazing staff at Harlow College for all they do to support our young people and give everyone a chance to succeed."

Principal of Harlow College, Karen Spencer, said: "It is really good to see the Further Education sector and an investment in skills getting political attention. At Harlow College, we work hard to ensure that our young people have access to high quality teachers and industry standard facilities. A visit from the Chancellor certainly raises the profile and importance of our sector, as we are vital to ensuring people have access to great careers and productive jobs. 

"Our students and apprentices were able to talk to Sajid about the courses they were studying and their aspirations for the future. He was even quizzed by our trainee journalists about investment in skills – a great opportunity and addition to their CVs."

Main photo (top of page) L-R: Will Allanson (Deputy Principal of Harlow College), Robert Halfon (Conservative candidate for Harlow and the Villages), Sajid Javid (Chancellor), Karen Spencer (Principal of Harlow College) with Student Ambassadors (front row) and Engineering students (back row).