Newcastle College boosts employment hopes

An initiative led by Newcastle College has already helped over 400 people tackle significant employment barriers, including mental health, homelessness and skills gaps.

Backed by £7.2 million from the Government and the North East Combined Authority, the Open Doors: Beyond Barriers project aims to support over 900 individuals across the North East.

Working with local partners, the programme provides tailored services to improve essential skills, social connections and job readiness for those facing unique challenges. Participants benefit from IT, maths and English courses, CV development, and job-specific training, equipping them for sustained employment opportunities.

One of those who has received support from the programme is Andres Pascasio, a refugee from El Salvador. Before relocating to the UK, Andres successfully worked as a software development manager with the National Bank of El Salvador. However, after arriving in the UK and struggling in the job seeker system since 2020, Andres faced the daunting prospect of changing careers after 30 years in his field.

He said: “With English being my second language, I found it tough to apply for jobs and handle interviews. My confidence in communicating at work was really low.

“That’s when the Open Doors: Beyond Barriers project helped me. With a referral from Newcastle Central Jobcentre Plus to Newcastle College, I got personalised support with things like writing a CV for my industry, searching for jobs, and improving my interview skills.

“They even gave me a translation document that converted IT equipment names and common phrases from English to Spanish, which made a huge difference.”

Stephen Sanderson, a lifelong joiner from County Durham, also engaged with the programme after his van and tools were stolen. Forced to relocate to Newcastle to support his daughter, Stephen was unsure how to begin his job search, having not updated his CV in over 20 years.

“After losing everything, I didn’t know how to start again.

“The team helped me write a new CV and get my CSCS card. Now I can work on building sites again, and I finally feel like I’m on the right track again.”

The initiative is dedicated to 'transforming lives across the region' by addressing personal and systemic barriers to employment, ensuring that each participant has the support they need to achieve their full potential.

Nathan Adams, adult skills lecturer at Newcastle College, added: “Our goal is to provide personalised support that meets individual’s needs and helps them overcome their unique challenges.

“Seeing people like Andres and Stephen regain their confidence and take steps toward their career goals is exactly why we do this work.”

Nathan’s comments were echoed by Jo Phillips, director of lifelong learning at the College, who added: “As the North East’s anchor education institution our primary purpose is to support people in our region towards a successful future.

“There are many reasons why people are out of work or may need this support and its fantastic to see the impact of this project already.”

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