Here at the Education Training Collective we are constantly striving to make our colleges and training providers a great place to work.

So, when it comes to our delivery working with subcontractors in the North of Tyne, it made sense to sign up to the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s Good Work Pledge.

The pledge has been created to help employers operating in the area to identify ‘good work’ in their own organisation, get recognised for this, or spot areas for potential improvement.

A major part of its vision is to recognise the importance of residents being able to access meaningful work in the region that offers, as a minimum, job security, skills, progression and decent pay.

Etc. now joins more than 150 organisations to have achieved Good Work Pledge awards.

Bringing businesses together to share good practice, the pledge is set around “Five Pillars” with main themes of:
• Valuing and rewarding your workforce
• Promoting health and wellbeing
• Effective communications and representation
• Developing a balanced workforce
• A social responsibility

Etc. partnerships manager, Samantha Curd, said: “We currently deliver a small number of courses in the North of Tyne region, and we are hopeful that we can significantly increase delivery in 2024-25.

“Part of our contract working with the North of Tyne Combined Authority is a commitment to sign up to the Good Work Pledge.”

On achieving the Standard Good Work Pledge, she added: “We are really pleased to have our efforts officially recognised and feel proud of the part we play in providing people with opportunities to move into employment.

“The good practice we demonstrate across the Etc. is something we share with our subcontractors and all those we work with.”

Two regional further and higher education college groups have formalised a Strategic Alliance Agreement incorporating a new corporate governance approach for ‘place-based’ skills strategy.

Earlier this year, Education Partnership North East (EPNE) and the Education Training Collective (Etc.) announced a strategic skills partnership aligned to Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) from across the North East, North of Tyne and Tees Valley areas, specifically linked to developing and delivering technical training within retrofit, digital and modern methods of construction.

Now, following the ratification of the Skills and Post-16 Education Act in April 2022 to level up and drive economic growth across the country, EPNE and Etc. have formally signed the Strategic Alliance, including a clear intention to reshape ‘business as usual governance’.

This new and unique approach will see the Governors and Executive Leaders jointly and regularly collaborating outside of formalised Board meetings to shape and evolve a regional skills strategy contextualised for employers and the local communities served by each college group.

James Stuart, EPNE’s Chair of Governors, said: “This valued added approach to collective governance extends beyond the formality of corporation meetings and is a model rarely seen in the further education sector.

“I am delighted our boards are collaborating to ensure an ambitious new approach to regional skills strategy.”

Stuart Blackett, Etc.’s Chair of Governors, said: “This new and ambitious approach sends a very clear message that Further Education Governors, are at the heart of the skills system and are very well placed to shape and set the future of skills strategy for our region and communities.”

Recognising strength comes through strategic collaboration, EPNE and Etc. will work together to drive economic recovery and growth by giving local people training opportunities to secure well-paid jobs in key industries with skills gaps.

Utilising an innovative sector-leading approach which is fundamentally different to traditional skills collaborations, a new curriculum will be co-designed and delivered which is aligned to the respective Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) of the Tees Valley, North East LEP, and North of Tyne geographical areas, specifically linked to digital, renewable and modern construction.

By boosting the quality of education on offer through flexible study options including Sector Work Based Academies (SWAPs) and Skills Bootcamps, the partnership will further prioritise local needs and local people, transforming the skills and training landscape.

Colleges across the Tees Valley have joined forces with North-east businesses to tackle a widening skills gap after securing £2.5m of government funding.

The move is part of a drive to help people launch careers in key industries, upskill the workforce through innovative projects and boost economic growth across the region.

A £2.5m grant allocated by the Department for Education will provide equipment and staff development training for a host of initiatives to be delivered at Redcar and Cleveland College, Stockton Riverside College, NETA Training (all part of the Education Training Collective), along with Darlington College, Middlesbrough College, Hartlepool College, Hartlepool Sixth Form College, and the Learning Curve Group and will involve partnering with the North East Chamber of Commerce, which has been working closely with thousands of businesses across the region.

Investment is being targeted to address the region’s specific skills needs, which have been identified as priority sectors in Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs).

Research has identified a host of unfilled opportunities in sectors such as green energy, the digital industry, construction and health and social care, areas that are carrying thousands of vacancies for skilled staff.

Darlington College’s strategic projects and skills manager and LSIF project lead Alan Jones said: “After many months of planning I’m thrilled our partnership has been awarded this important funding to support local skills improvement in the Tees Valley.

“Working with key local employers and the support of the North East Chamber of Commerce, we have chosen priority projects which will best serve the region and we can’t wait to get started.”

North East Chamber of Commerce assistant director of policy Rachel Anderson said: “LSIPs provide us with the opportunity to shape the future of the region’s skills and talent pipeline, so it’s excellent for our colleges and universities to have received support to offer more training opportunities across key sectors.

“The Chamber has worked with over 3,000 businesses to ensure the correct training provision is in place to meet skills needs and opportunities and to ensure we avoid gaps in the future.”

Education Training Collective (Etc.) chief executive and group principal Grant Glendinning said: “This welcome investment in local skills projects will enable us to build on our commitment to meet employers’ skill demands, particularly in the green and health sectors, and in doing so, develop a pipeline of local talent.

“The addition of industrial size training facilities at Redcar and Cleveland College to simulate hydrogen creation, application and use, as well as enhanced welding, pipefitting and fabrication facilities, an upskilled scaffolding offer at NETA Training, and exciting developments in health at Stockton Riverside College, will further build on the specialist training opportunities available in the Tees Valley in readiness to respond to inward investment and economic growth in the region and beyond.”

Middlesbrough College’s deputy principal and chief executive Ben Robinson said: “We are delighted to see the exciting collaborative work between colleges and businesses in the Tees Valley recognised and look forward to the state of the art facilities this will bring to our site in health care, net-zero technology and modern methods of construction.

“The developments will be crucial in addressing the skills shortages and employment gaps within our region and will provide our learners with the resources required to develop industry-essential occupational and soft skills to contribute to their and the region’s future economic prosperity.”

Darlington College principal and chief executive David Gartland added: “We are so pleased our submission has been recognised as meeting the needs of the local labour market. Investment in the delivery of health, social care, renewable energies and green construction will benefit us all across the Tees Valley.

“This renewed focus on skills delivery will allow boot camps and apprenticeships to flourish thanks to new investment in our equipment and the upskilling of our teaching staff. Students of all ages will benefit from this investment and it couldn’t have come at a better time, with so many jobs becoming available across the Tees Valley in these key skills sectors.”

Darren Hankey, principal and chief executive, Hartlepool College of Further Education, added: “To see that the collaborative hard work that has gone into securing this investment has paid off is incredible. An opportunity to further support countless organisations with recruitment, retention and re-skilling of staff is most welcome to the Tees Valley. Hartlepool College of Further Education is well known for its skill set in producing future workforces for sectors such as health and social care, construction, and engineering – boosting the skills in digitalisation and green energy. All of the equipment and proposed skills techniques that have been added to the LSIF have been designed by employers to ensure their needs are met. This will allow people to gain the fundamental skills that are required to build a career in the Tees Valley and address the real needs that emerged from the LSIP report.”

Principal of Sunderland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form Toni Rhodes said: “We are delighted to be working with other providers in the Tees Valley to address collectively the local skills needs identified through the LSIP, ensuring Tees Valley residents have the skills required to access local jobs.”

Chief executive of Learning Curve Group Brenda McLeish added: “I’m delighted that Learning Curve Group has been able to support the development of the North East’s Local Skills Improvement Plan and is a player in the team of providers delivering against the plan in the region. Together, we’ve highlighted some essential skills for the North-east, and our combined effective delivery will set our region up for future success and prosperity.”

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the investment was aimed at boosting local industry, building people’s skills and ultimately futureproofing the economy and the career prospects of the next generation.

She said: “Our local skills projects will bring together regional organisations, businesses and education providers to respond to the specific needs of employers, building an increasingly skilled workforce. Thousands more people can now gain the skills they need to secure good jobs closer to home.”

Demand for green skills is set to rise in particular as the government works to create energy security and the UK heads towards net zero.

The transition to a green and sustainable future will support hundreds of thousands of exciting green job opportunities in areas such as heat pump installation, retro-fitting energy efficient materials, solar panel upkeep, electric vehicle manufacturing and charging maintenance, as well as environmental consultancy.

Health and social care has a huge appetite for skilled staff to improve access to high quality care and cut waiting lists.

Describing opening Bede Sixth Form College’s new £2.4m development as the proudest day of his life is a bold statement from Mark White CBE DL.

After a career littered with accolades, it shows the level of affection Mark has for the college in Billingham, where he started what would be a 27-year commitment to further education in the Tees Valley.

Bede has now recognised his contribution to the college with the official launch of its all-new Mark White Annexe at the college site on Marsh House Avenue.

“This feels like an extraordinary honour,” said Mark, former chair of governors at the Education Training Collective (Etc.). “It means the world to me.”

Funded, in part, by the Department for Education’s Post-16 Capacity Fund, the annexe has been created in response to an expected demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, making room for an additional 200 students at Bede.

Those joining the college now have access to the all-new facility with nine new classrooms, specialist suites and breakout spaces.

The self-contained three-storey facility includes a dedicated learning area for those students with a particular interest in the science and pharmaceutical sectors, a health and social care wing and bespoke media suite.

Bede’s principal Patrick Jordan said: “We are incredibly proud and excited to see work on the development complete and to now be welcoming returning students and new starters to learn in fantastic state-of-the-art facilities.

“This welcome investment in our facilities enables us to accommodate more students and also offered the exciting opportunity to create new and innovative learning environments, designed to meet key-sector skill demands.”

Of naming the annexe after Mark White, he added: “Mark has long been a part of Bede’s blood and so it seemed only fitting that we dedicate this space to him.”

Attending the annexe launch, Councillor Bob Cook, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: “It’s so important that we help children and young people reach their potential from early years through to further education, and that we do all we can to provide them with high quality learning environments fit for a modern education.

“We want them all to be educated in modern buildings like this wonderful new facility, and the sixth form’s increased capacity will bring more opportunities for them to learn new skills in a purpose-built, inspirational space.”

Mark White stepped back from his role as chair of the Etc. governing board last summer, after 27 years in governing roles across the college group which includes Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training, Redcar and Cleveland College, Stockton Riverside College and The Skills Academy (Billingham).

A keen volunteer, working with multiple organisations across the Tees Valley and nationwide, Mark was named in the King’s Birthday Honours List to receive a CBE early this year for his services to further education. He is also a Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham.