Wirral Met College opens new “learning shop” in Birkenhead town centre

Feb 24 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

A NEW shopping experience has opened in Birkenhead.

Wirral Metropolitan College’s “learning shop” – which aims to help people improve their career prospects and aid businesses to recruit and train their workforce – opened its doors last Thursday in the Grange & Pyramids Shopping Centre, Birkenhead.

The shop, situated next door to Marks & Spencer, has been created as a partnership between Wirral Met and Warner Estate Holdings, which owns and asset manages the shopping centre.

An open day on Thursday attracted hundreds of visitors.

Sue Higginson, the college’s Assistant Principal, who headed the learning shop project, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the initial response we have had to the opening of our new facility.

“With our retraining and skills development programmes, the college is already supporting more than 200 people who have been made redundant, or are under threat of redundancy.

“A programme called Choices will be run from the shop to specifically support this initiative.

“Success in this field has also to led the college to develop a drop-in advice and guidance centre for adults and learners in partnership with the information and advice service Connexions.”

In addition, the college’s partnership with Warner Estate Holdings, owners of the Grange and Pyramids, will offer a retail academy to serve the outlets in the shopping centre along with Warners’ Cavern Walks centre in Liverpool.