Business people have a new tool to help keep the managers and workforce keep up to date – with the opening of The Knowledge Centre.

Based under the shadow of the M6, the centre has been set up with European grants to help firms beef up on their environmental and other skills and knowledge, and meet their ISO and Investors in People (IIP) targets.

There is help for all stages of the training spectrum – and the teaching can be done in the Exhall base or via links to the offices, which could be anywhere.

There have already been bookings from Coventry and Warwickshire, plus Birmingham and the rest of the Midlands. Based a few seconds from M6 Junction 3, the centre is easily accessible – locally and regionally.

The centre was officially opened last week, and has been up and running for just over a fortnight. Some 150 people have already signed up, mainly with manufacturing firms with companies in the automotive industry and plating among the first.

The project is supported by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training and Enterprise, Coventry and Warwickshire Business Link and the European Social Fund.

Nersi Salehi, managing director, said:

"It is a chance for people to come and take part in actual, and virtual, learning.

"The world is changing and people have to adapt with new skills and to update their knowledge.

"Only suppliers who have the latest skills will be able to trade, and we can teach people how to use advanced technology.

"We can take the whole workforce along their NVQ course, from levels one to five, so they can help the managers, supervisors and those on the shop floor."

The project has received assistance from the CW2000 project and 10 jobs have been created with the opening of the Knowledge Centre.

Help has also been received from Coventry University and Birmingham University.

Mr Salehi said:

"We are here to help people with their business and we are in perfect location for people to come to us."