BRITAIN'S largest chamber of commerce is opening windows of opportunity for workers at one of the UK's leading glass processing companies.

Nineteen workers at Pilkington Glass UK in Middlesbrough are polishing up their skills through training in glass processing with the help of North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC).

Through the chamber's Sunderland training centre in Pallion, one of only a handful of specialist glass training centres in the UK, 16 trainees have completed an NVQ level 2 in glass processing, with a further three completing a foundation Modern Apprenticeship in the same discipline.

"As one of the leading glass processors in the UK, we need experienced staff with the most up-to-date skills to help us remain competitive," said Gary Dobson, operations manager at Pilkington, Middlesbrough.

"With a training programme that combines practical workshop learning with theory, the chamber is helping our workers to improve their core skills at the same time as they carry out our day-to-day operations."