The Port of Blyth and Port Training Services’ innovative education and skills partnership with Newcastle College has scooped a top prize at the Educate North Awards.
The visionary partnership between Port Training Services (PTS), the Port’s industry leading training arm, and the College received the award for Business Collaboration and Partnerships in FE/HE.
The award recognises the College’s collaboration with industry to ensure that the qualifications, facilities and skills programmes it offers meet employer demand and skills gaps across the North East.
The partnership joined forces to develop and deliver training programmes with direct pathways into the offshore energy sector, the region’s fastest growing industry. Combining the technical expertise of Newcastle College’s Energy Academy with the industry insight and working environment of PTS, students benefit from access to highly vocational offshore, marine, subsea and port related training in real-working facilities, putting the College at the forefront of skills training for the region’s energy sector.
Martin Lawlor, Chief Executive of Port of Blyth, said: “ We’re absolutely delighted to see this visionary partnership win this award. As a division of the Port of Blyth, Port Training Services has long been at the forefront of port and marine training in the UK. This award recognises the strides made in Blyth in recent years to ensure that the offshore energy sector that is so important to both town and the region, is provided with a conveyor belt of local talent to fill their skills gap in the coming years.
“We’re extremely proud that the partnership with Newcastle College has already seen its first cohort of Level 3 graduates head off into industry and look forward to collaborating and innovating with the college long into the future.”
Scott Bullock, Principal of Newcastle College, commented: “I am extremely proud of everyone at Newcastle College for the work they have done to achieve this accolades, especially through the challenges of the past twelve months.
“Our partnership with PTS is a fantastic example of how we can work collaboratively to address the skills priorities of the North East and create opportunities for our learners, our local communities and our employer partners.”
The Educate North Awards is a prestigious annual awards event which celebrates, recognises and shares best practice and excellence in the education sector in the North.
