This was how Sir Digby Jones, ex-chairman of the CBI, described the opportunity presented to the chemical industry as he opened the new CATCH training facility in Stallingborough.

The Centre for Assessment of Technical Competence in the Humber (CATCH) is unique to Europe and will provide a 'real life' training environment for technical staff in the industry.

The £8 million investment in CATCH comes after an increasing number of companies in the region identified a growing skills gap in their workforce as mounting legislation has prevented the training of unskilled personnel on hazardous sites.

This, combined with an aging workforce and a decline in the number of young people choosing to pursue careers in the sciences, posed a real problem for the regional industry, which is one of the strongest in the UK.

Yorkshire Forward, who supports the growth of the regional chemicals sector, worked with partners across the region to develop the facility, which will address these issues.

Terry Hodgkinson, Chair of Yorkshire Forward, who chaired the opening ceremony explained, "The chemicals industry in Yorkshire and Humber is one of the strongest in the UK. It employs 24,000 people and has a turnover of £8 billion annually. This industry is vital to region's future economic prosperity and whilst we continue to invest in programmes that will encourage more young people to pursue careers in the sciences, we need to address skills shortages in the here and now. CATCH will do this and as the Humber is a critically important location for the industry in our region it has provided the ideal base for the facility."

The site comprises a full-scale plant section with working machinery, control room, workshops and training rooms. However, instead of chemical substances running through the facility's network of pipes there are non-hazardous liquids and powders.

What makes CATCH unique is that it will be open to all chemical companies in the region and beyond to use for their own in house training or to commission bespoke programmes through CATCH and its network of independent training providers.

The site is also operating training courses for new apprentices in the industry, who would previously have only been able to learn their trade in the classroom.

CATCH is funded by Yorkshire Forward, the European Regional Development Fund (£1.7 million), the Learning and Skills Council (£250,000) and is supported by donations of equipment from industry and the ECTIB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) totalling £2 million.