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Skills & Talent

Developing a rich and diverse talent pool in Northumberland

Northumberland College's Gen Zero building

TRAILBLAZING FACILITIES

Underpinning Northumberland’s key sectors is a rich and diverse talent pool and investment in education, training, and skills. Major international companies are attracted by the award-winning educational facilities and dedicated, highly skilled workforce.

Education providers across the county are taking pioneering approaches to developing the skills, training and qualifications required by companies based in the area. Northumberland is the location of many high-quality education and training providers who support learners from across the North East to reach their potential. From vocational qualifications and apprenticeships to accredited training courses and specialist sector focussed training, Northumberland can offer it all.

Skills and Talent

Investing in our future

Northumberland has a rich an diverse talent pool, enhanced by the further educational and training facilities.
Energy Central Learning Hub

Energy Central Learning Hub is a new £15 million state-of-the-art skills facility and visitor Centre that will deliver vocational green skills qualifications. Overlooking the Blyth Estuary, this new learning centre will provide a place for people of all ages and abilities to immerse themselves in the world of STEM education and take part in training and achieve vocational qualifications with the help of local education providers and employers.

Further investment will be made in the county with the development of Energy Central Institute which will create a focal point for collaboration between local energy businesses, the ORE Catapult, and North East universities, which will develop higher-level skills and technological innovations to keep at the cutting edge of expertise and enable sector growth.

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Northumberland College

Northumberland College have recently announced a campus will be established on Wansbeck Business Park in Ashington; the 5.7 acre site will be developed by the Department for Education (DfE) into a state-of-the-art, new technical college campus. 

The multi-million pound investment will be a Gen-Zero build, the first in a new generation of further education buildings designed to be ultra-low carbon in both construction and operation. The new campus will be include industry standard advanced manufacturing, engineering and construction skills centre; a green transport, automotive and logistics hub and much more.

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Welding and Fabrication Centre

The brand new Welding and Fabrication Technical Training Centre at the Port of Blyth is a dedicated facility with state-of-the-art equipment to support skills development in the growing sectors of advanced manufacturing, welding and fabrication.

From its opening in 2023, this new facility offers a wide range of accredited qualifications across welding and fabrication, delivered in a setting which has renewables, engineering, fabrication and design at its core.

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Port Training Services

A specialist training provider delivering fully accredited qualifications from GWO Slinger Signaller course to Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Introduction Training course. Port Training Services are based at Port of Blyth and are on hand to support businesses to equip staff with the knowledge they need to develop and grow. 

The Wind Turbine Training Facility offers learners the unique opportunity to experience safe, real world environments with the support of Port Training Services.

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We are here to help

We work with local and international businesses to help them on their journey to investing in Northumberland. Get in touch with the team to discuss the opportunities available to your business.

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