WS Training Centre opens on Battery Green in Lowestoft

The mayor of Lowestoft, Sonia Barker, has cut the ribbon to officially open the WS Training Centre at 1 Battery Green in north Lowestoft.

The independent training provider helps students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with their education.

The centre supports students aged between 16- 25 and those with an education health care plan to develop their skills and access further education or employment.

It offers a full range of nationally accredited courses to gain qualifications to complement each pathway, including vocational studies, maths and English.

The WS Training Centre at 1 Battery Green, in North Lowestoft (Image: Mick Howes)

Chloe Barnett, director of operations at WS Training, said: “We responded to a gap in the market of Lowestoft and recognised this type of service was needed.

"We support students with SEND or who have barriers to learning with their education and offer them a smaller environment to help aid learning.

“WS Training was already established in Ipswich and in November 2022 after identifying a need for their services in Lowestoft they expanded to support young people in the town.

"We initially hired a room within the Kirkley Centre but demand for places increased rapidly and we looked for new premises and opened our doors a few months later.

“Our career advisors meet with the students to assess their needs, set goals, and nurture them to achieve where they want to be. Many go out on work experience with retail, hospitality and sports and fitness being popular.”

Mayor of Lowestoft, Sonia Barker, cuts the ribbon at the opening of the new WS Training Centre (Image: Mick Howes)

The centre has two classrooms on each of the two floors and an administration office, as well as currently having between 30 and 40 students coming to the training centre - with aims to double its numbers.

It also supports those who are not seeking employment or education to help them develop their personal and social skills.