About Us

While the name Education Training Collective is relatively new to the Further Education sector, the group is far from new. The group’s member colleges have a strong history of providing high quality education, which dates almost 70 years.

Founding member Stockton Riverside College was established in Stockton on Tees in 1950 and remained a standalone college until merging with Bede Sixth Form, Billingham, in 2008. (Note: Stockton Riverside College was formerly known as Stockton Billingham Technical College)

Following this successful merger, the group opened The Skills Academy in Billingham in 2015, a three-way partnership between the college, Stockton Borough Council and Eggleslciffe School, merged again with NETA Training Group, Stockton, in August 2015 and then most recently with Redcar and Cleveland College in August 2018.

In 2019, the group made the further decision to change its name to more accurately reflect the diversity of all of its campuses while still maintaining all of the individual college names – and the Education Training Collective was born.

The Education Training Collective (Etc.) is the umbrella brand for the group which incorporates Stockton Riverside College, Redcar and Cleveland College, NETA Training, Bede Sixth Form College, The Skills Academy and the Tees Valley Logistics Academy.

Etc. is an abbreviation of et cetera, a Latin expression, meaning “and similar” or, “and so on.” Et cetera is future facing, indicative of progress and what’s coming next.

The new name was selected, after a long and involved process and consultation, because it resonates Etc.’s intentions as a Group.

Building on its recent successes, Etc. has made significant investment in improved student facilities, industry standard equipment and services, and now benefits from shared resources, best practice and expertise to create greater learning opportunities for students and ensures a cohesive and effective transition across the group.

A recent Ofsted report for the group praised the positive impact it is having on its students and local residents, raising aspirations and delivering the skills needed to achieve their ambitions and help them find work.

During a monitoring visit inspectors found staff are, “passionately committed to ensuring all learners receive the best possible teaching”.

They also recognised the close partnership work between the college group, local authorities and employers, which is helping to address skills gaps and meet the wider economic needs of the area.

With a growing reputation, locally, regionally and nationally, for its successful emphasis on collaboration, Etc. actively builds relationships with partner organisations from the private, public and third sectors, with the ability to offer a flexible demand-led and responsive approach.

With a commitment to providing local colleges for local people, its aim is to create greater opportunities for communities, equipping people with the skills to help them in to employment, raising aspirations and meeting the economic demands of the region.