A STATE-OF-THE-ART Harley-Davidson training centre, the only one in the UK, is set to open in Bromsgrove.

The centre, based at in a building at NEW College, will become the European training base thanks to a £1.7m grant from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

Previously trainees from UK dealerships have had to travel to the USA for training, but from this autumn they will come to the Bromsgrove site.

As well as engineering skills the centre will provide training in management development, leadership and customer services. When Harley-Davidson staff are not using the facilities the centre will be used by businesses and students enrolling on new motorcycle engineering courses.

It is hoped that more than 200 people will be trained at the centre each year and the college will be developing courses designed at encouraging women into engineering.

NEW College vice principal Tricia Burton said: "With something of a renaissance in motorcycling this is a great opportunity to become the nationally recognised leader in this important area of training."

Managing director of Harley-Davidson UK, Mike Kennedy, said: "The West Midlands provides a central base, not far from our European headquarters, to bring this great resource to the UK. It will facilitate training to our dealership staff, a large selection of our European, Middle East and African dealerships and hopefully inciting new blood into the technical courses that will be on offer at the new centre when it reaches completion."

Advantage West Midlands chief executive John Edwards said it was a real honour Harley-Davidson had chosen NEW College as the location for its European training base.

He added: "I hope that the arrival of this high profile name will encourage others to explore investment opportunities in the West Midlands."

"This centre offers a real boost to the image of the region and the opportunity for many exciting new training opportunities for local people."