Training charity reveals plans to expand (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Training charity reveals plans to expand

9:00am Monday 28th January 2013 in News By Chris Young, T&A Reporter

A charity devoted to reducing crime by training people for work wants to expand its operation in the Aire Valley.
NACRO’s plans would see up to 100 young people a year training at its base at Acorn Business Park in Otley Road, Baildon, transforming them from people not in education, employment or training to skilled workers.
The centre trains 14-19 year olds in skills to prepare them for a career in the Army, as well as light engineering and motor vehicle studies.
It has been so popular the charity wants to expand into an empty 705 square metre unit next door and has submitted a planning application to Bradford Council to change Unit Two’s use to a vocational training centre, which would employ eight full time members of staff, and train up to 100 young people a year.
NACRO has been running in the Aire Valley for three years, and moved to the Acorn Business Park last April.
Robert Mifsud, who made the application and works at the existing centre, said: “We give these young people the skills to go into the armed forces, we help them with confidence, skills, ability and fitness.
“We already have about 60 people a year on the Army preparation courses, and more than 30 with the motor vehicle skills on top of that.
“Our main theme is crime prevention – it doesn’t mean the teens on the course have committed a crime, but it is a way of putting people on the right path for the future. We have a fantastic progression rate of people going into the armed forces.”