A GROUP of Derbyshire MPs have written to Skills Minister Matthew Hancock in an effort to persuade the Government to choose Derby as the location for the National College of High Speed Rail.
A delegation travelled to Coventry to pitch for the college, which will train thousands of apprentices, before a panel of Government officials.
They presented their case to a group headed by Terry Morgan, chairman of Crossrail and the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering, and officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd.
Derby faces competition from three other shortlisted locations – Manchester, Birmingham and Doncaster – for the college, which will create 2,000 apprenticeships during the lifetime of the HS2 line.
A decision is expected before the parliamentary summer recess on July 22.
In the meantime, Derbyshire MPs Pauline Latham, Heather Wheeler, Jessica Lee, Nigel Mills and Andrew Bingham have written to Mr Hancock in support of Derby's bid.
Mrs Latham, MP for Mid Derbyshire, said: "Derby is the natural choice for the academy. We have a long history of excellence in engineering and if Derby were to be chosen, the academy's students would have a fantastic support system and world-class training."
Mrs Wheeler, MP for South Derbyshire, said: "We have a proven track record of providing skills and opportunities for our youngsters and this college would build on our heritage to ensure our young people have exceptional training opportunities on their doorstep."
