Prestigious status for Youth Training Academy

The Youth Training Academy, established only two years ago to help young people to start a career in the creative and digital sectors, has been awarded prestigious status by a leading learning body.

The Academy, in Gateshead, has been named as an Edexcel Centre Status, after being highlighted as one of the UK’s top training hubs in is it’s External Verifier (EV) report.

During its first two years, the Youth Training Academy has worked with more than 60 employers, creating 180 jobs and apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-olds.

Organisations which have worked with the Academy have included leading North East creative and digital businesses, including Vertigo Films, Global Radio, Re-Production and Bede Gaming.

Based in the Gateshead International Business Centre, the Youth Training Academy’s initial remit to work with the creative and digital media sector, has expanded and has encompassed activities across a wide range of industries.

Rob Earnshaw, the Youth Training Academy’s Managing Director, said: “The unprecedented success the Youth Training Academy has achieved in the last two years has been phenomenal. We have engaged with some fantastic firms and this has reaped great rewards with 180 jobs created.

“Gaining Edexcel Centre Status on the back of a superb EV report tops off the first two years and gives us a real drive to continue to build what we are doing, developing talent and creating links between young people and exciting businesses.”

The EV report stated: “The YTA demonstrated several highly effective pastoral support strategies which were successful in retaining learners via employer involvement and pastoral care and guidance which is highly valued.”

It continued: “The centre appears to be a model of exemplar practise.”

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