In the face of economic challenges, Newcastle College is proving to be a driving force for regional growth and opportunity.
Principal Jon Ridley spoke to North East Business iQ recently about the role that Newcastle College plays in supporting growth and economic prosperity across the North East. He highlights how the college is equipping thousands of learners each year with the skills needed to power the North East’s future. With strong employer partnerships and a commitment to inclusive education, the college is not only transforming lives but also helping to shape a more prosperous, resilient region.
Read an extract below, or the full article here.
At Newcastle College, I see each day how education changes lives and drives economic prosperity.
Further education colleges are the backbone of our regional skills system. Every year, we support almost 13,000 people to pursue their next steps and their ambitions right here in our region. That includes around 6,000 young people studying full-time and 1,000 apprentices, all of whom we are preparing for a future career here in the North East. It includes thousands of adults reskilling or upskilling, and thousands of degree students at Newcastle College University Centre developing the higher technical skills our region's industries need now and in the future.
Those numbers increase every year. Even faced with funding challenges, we train more young people, upskill more adults and partner with even more employers, creatively pursuing opportunities together to support the goals of our region and the businesses that drive it. This year alone we have worked with more than 460 businesses across our region to offer over 1,000 work experience opportunities for our young people.
We know that collaboration is absolutely essential to the work we do. Now, more than ever, we need our whole community - businesses, civic leaders, policy makers - to get involved. When we work together, we can make our region stronger for everyone.
And we do this in sectors that matter deeply to our region's future. From energy and engineering to creative industries and digital skills, we are preparing the next generation of technicians, designers, and entrepreneurs. These aren't just courses - they are pipelines to careers that will help our communities thrive.
We're already leading the way in areas including:
Energy and Engineering - We've just secured £8.48million to expand our Energy Academy in Wallsend!
Creative Industries - We nurture the region's creative talent and train students in design, animation, illustration, music, film, theatre and stage production in partnership with industry leaders such as Generator.
Digital and Tech - In partnership with digital companies, we deliver high-quality technical training in animation, coding, cyber, software development and design. We developed the UK's first creative digital degree apprenticeship - an example of college and business collaboration to grow a sector's workforce.
These programmes work because they are built with, and supported by, local employers and stakeholders in our cities and communities. They're grounded in real opportunity, and they create real impact. But we want to do even more.