North East CTEC to ‘boost young people’s chances’

A North East college is set to expand training opportunities for young people.

Sunderland College has been announced as one of ten Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTECs) established by the Department for Education, backed by £100 million in Government investment. 

The CTECs are a central part of the Government’s Plan for Change, aimed at delivering 1.5 million new homes and key infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.

Based at Sunderland’s Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA), a £20 million state-of-the-art facility that acts as a collaborative gateway and hub, the North East CTEC will offer training for wet trades at Sunderland College’s City Campus and provide pathways for students aged 14 to adulthood, combining GCSEs with construction qualifications, site visits and work experience to attract under-represented groups into the sector.

Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, with 25 primary schools and five secondaries across Sunderland, East Durham and South Tyneside, is a “key partner,” alongside regional colleges including Derwentside, East Durham, Northumberland, South Tyneside, Tyne Met, Stockton Riverside and Redcar and Cleveland colleges.

Officials say the ‘hub-and-spoke’ model will ensure around 40,000 learners benefit by 2029, providing essential skills and helping to close the regional construction skills gap while giving young people vital hands-on experience to support local housing and infrastructure projects.

Brendan Tapping, chief executive of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Sunderland College has been announced as the North East’s CTEC. 

“We are proud to have a longstanding and strong partnership with Sunderland College and we look forward to our continued work together to develop a homegrown, skilled workforce right here in the region. 

“This will boost our young people’s chances of thriving in a successful career.

“CTECs will address the skills shortages in the construction industry and raise industry awareness standards and crucially for our young people, it will provide well-paid, high-skilled jobs for British workers. 

“This gives our young people an incredible opportunity to gain valuable regional access to world-class construction training. 

“They will go on to fantastic careers in fast-growing sectors such as housebuilding, engineering construction, and green energy, strengthening our local economy and future-proofing the region’s workforce. 

“This is great news for our region.”

Ellen Thinnesen, chief executive of Education Partnership North East, which Sunderland College is a part of, added: “We are incredibly proud to have Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust as a key partner in the North East’s Construction Technical Excellence College, based at our pioneering Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy in Sunderland.

“BCCET’s commitment to delivering high-quality, future-focused education aligns perfectly with our vision for transforming technical training and widening access to opportunity. 

“Our partnership and the Gentoo Trades and Nissan Skills academies are already delivering impactful vocational pathways and building a powerful pipeline of talent that will serve key sectors and our communities across the region.”

The ten CTECs are Derby College Group, in East Midlands; West Suffolk College, in East of England; New City College, in Greater London; Sunderland College, in the North East; Wigan and Leigh College, in the North West; North Kent College, in the South East; Exeter College, in the South West; Bedford College, cross-regional; Dudley College of Technology, in the West Midlands; and Leeds College of Building, in Yorkshire and the Humber.

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