A TRAINING ground for engineers of the future has been commended by a top politician.

Chris Skidmore, minister of state for universities, science, research and innovation, has visited a new apprentice training centre at Culham Science Centre near Abingdon.

He stopped by at Oxfordshire Advanced Skills the week before last, before it welcomes its first cohort of apprentices in September.

He said: "Places like this are providing the skills our country needs for the future.

"They are training both the next generation of nuclear researchers, and apprentices for businesses across Oxfordshire and beyond."

The centre is a partnership of the UK Atomic Energy Authority and the Science and Technology Facilities Council, managed by the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre based in Coventry.

The new centre is home to industry-standard equipment covering a wide range of engineering and technology disciplines.

Paul Rowlett, managing director of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, said: "Having an insight into tomorrow’s technology gives us the ability to create engineer up-skilling and apprenticeship programmes to equip industry with a capable workforce."