Industrial Training Centre

Industrial training centre

Following the closure of the Ardwick site in 1981, a scheme to convert it into a new-style workshop to ease local unemployment and aid businessmen was put before the Manchester City Council for its consideration. The story was first published in the Manchester Evening News in September 1982. The project was given the go-ahead by the council and the Ardwick site became the Manchester Industrial Centre. The intention was that, in addition to receiving training, youngsters would work on projects for companies and individuals. It was expected, from surveys carried out, that dozens of projects would be undertaken. Apart from the direct employment of 50 people, there would be a target of training about 1,000 youngsters over a five-year period.

Plans were drawn up to make use of the building for industrial training purposes. A government-backed scheme resulted in a number of structural alterations being made to the building with, for instance, the walls in the old ground-floor English classrooms (facing the schoolyard) being knocked through thereby giving continued access from one area to another. Some larger areas, such as the gymnasium and hall, were partitioned. Workshops of various kinds were created where crafts and skills were taught to young people. Once again, just as when the Ragged and Industrial School was established in 1857, the building was used for industrial training of young people. It was, to some extent, a case of “history repeating itself”, the building ending its days being used for training tasks similar to those in its earlier life. Within a relatively short period, however, this operation was wound up and the building was closed for the final time.

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