The university will work with ZF to recruit a recent graduate to develop the planned training centre and Walsall College is also set to support the company with the delivery of its apprenticeship programme.

The new initiative will provide opportunities for work placements for students and ZF will be able to provide input into curricula to ensure courses are suitable for the needs of today’s businesses.

Terry Somerfield, managing director of ZF Lemforder UK, said: “We have worked hard to secure new and follow on business from our key customers and with this agreement between the University of Wolverhampton and ourselves, we are confident that we have engaged a strong partnership that will support the up skilling of our already committed workforce to deliver a quality product to our customers.”

The in-house training centre will be based on existing successful models within the automotive industry and other sectors, the university said.

All courses will provide opportunities for work-based projects, designed in conjunction with ZF to ensure activity is directed at organisational as well as individual development.

ZF has 121 production companies in 27 countries and is among the largest automotive suppliers in the world.