A new Hydrogen Training Academy, to be based at Silverwood Business in Ballymena, is to receive £511,000 from the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund. With hydrogen emerging as a leading sustainable energy solution, the first-of-its-kind project for Northern Ireland will enable and develop a dynamic, skilled workforce that can take full advantage of hydrogen and clean tech opportunities. The Hydrogen Training Academy is one of 31 projects across Northern Ireland set to benefit from a total of £12million CRF funding – all focusing on skills, education, local business and employment. Led by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, the Academy will be driven by a public-private partnership that includes Northern Regional College, Belfast Metropolitan College, Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University and the University of Birmingham. The Academy will play a critical role in training and upskilling both existing employees and new trainees to a recognised professional competence standard required for the hydrogen sector. *Full story in next week’s Ballymena Times