Category: Skills

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Career pathways for shortage roles

A new resource to boost skills in the region’s health and life sciences sector

Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles is a new resource designed to help:

  • Businesses working in the region’s health and life sciences sector address skills shortages for key roles
  • Education and training providers develop industry relevant curriculum
  • The wider industry grow and thrive in the North East.

It has been developed in response to the publication of the North East Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy, which aims to double the number of jobs and businesses in the health and life sciences sector by 2030.

What is Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles?

A free online resource for businesses working in the North East’s health and life sciences sector, Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles outlines the basic and essential skills needed for six key roles where a shortage of appropriately skilled candidates has been identified. The six key roles are:

  • Analytical Chemist
  • Process Engineer
  • Software Engineer
  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • Lab Technician
  • Project Manager.

What help and support can businesses access?

Employers can see the education and training routes available in the region to allow them to grow talent into the six specific roles, including:

Education and training

  • Apprenticeships
  • T Levels
  • Further education.

Uptake of apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications is very low in the health and life sciences sector.

The resource uses existing good practice and occupational maps from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to identify better ways to utilise apprenticeship funding and advancements in technical education to develop talent into the six key shortage roles.

Education contacts and courses

Businesses can access information on local education contacts as well as training and courses relevant to each role.

Case studies

Employers can also read case studies about local employers who have successfully adopted the education and training routes outlined in the resource to increase workforce development.

What support is available for education and training providers?

Insight to develop an industry relevant curriculum

In addition to supporting employers in the region with recruitment challenges, the new resource also provides information on skills shortages in the sector, which education and training providers can use to inform the development of an industry relevant curriculum and inform young people about career pathways into in the sector.

How do I access the resources?

Visit the Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles resource.

Visit the North East Health and Life Sciences Sector Careers Toolkit.

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Can we reverse the decline in apprenticeships and make the North East ‘apprentice ready’?

Apprenticeships can help solve businesses’ recruitment challenges and can open the door to careers including law, journalism and banking. So why are the numbers of young people choosing apprenticeships falling?

In February the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP), the Federation of Small Businesses and the North East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network shared findings from new research, with the aim of reversing the decline in young people starting apprenticeships in our region. Kim Smith, the North East LEP’s Regional Lead for Education and Enterprise, explains more.

Earlier this year, we were joined by more than 100 businesses, training providers and government representatives to urgently address the decline in 16 to 18 year olds who are benefiting from apprenticeships in our region.

The event was chaired by Lucy Winskell OBE, who is the Chair of the North East LEP, and I think her opening words, and the welcome address by Robert Halfon MP, Minister of State at the Department for Education, highlighted just how important apprenticeships are for the North East. They can help businesses recruit and retain a skilled, future-proofed workforce. They give young people their first steps into work. They can help increase social mobility and reduce the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training. And yet there’s been a steady decline in numbers of young people starting apprenticeships since 2015/16.

It would be easy to blame the pandemic, the introduction of the apprenticeship levy and other external factors for the decline, and to take comfort in the fact that we’re not the only region seeing this decline. But the reality is, as a region, this pre-dates the pandemic; we have the lowest number of apprenticeships starts, accounting for just 6% of the total starts nationally, with the share of starts for under 19s continuing to fall. However, on the positive side, we know that when people start an apprenticeship 92% progress onto a positive outcome such as sustaining a job, progressing into a job with higher training very much on a par with national performance.

The decline is a big problem which also provides a big opportunity for change. And we’re no longer replying on anecdotal evidence; thanks to this research we now have a real picture of what the apprenticeship landscape looks like in our region.

Our research has highlighted a number of recommendations and that this is not just an issue for schools to solve, or for businesses to solve, it’s an issue for everybody. We can work to increase demand for apprenticeships through dispelling myths around apprenticeships amongst young people, but we also need those vacancies – at both lower and higher levels – to be there and to be tailored to the needs of our young people and our businesses.

To translate the recommendations into action, we are working with stakeholders, nationally and locally to implement an apprenticeReady framework.

We’ve delivered training for secondary schools across the North East to make teachers aware of apprenticeship opportunities. We’re working with the Department for Education to help improve the Find an Apprenticeship website for both jobseekers and employers and we’re working with New College Durham to support a new regional project for SMEs wanting to deliver apprenticeships.

For me, holding February’s event was about not shying away from the fact that we need to do more, and that being apprentice ready is everybody’s business.

It will be a collaborative effort to make successful apprenticeships a reality for the North East and the results will benefit us all.

Read the research on the North East Evidence Hub here, and to access information and resources on apprenticeships, visit the North East Growth Hub. To find out how you can get involved in the apprenticeReady framework development please email [email protected].  

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Training for a future in the green economy

Anthea Pratt, Skills Programme Manager at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) explains how we can design training for jobs of the future.

When we commissioned the Domestic Retrofit Skills Needs Assessment, with the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, we knew that the urgent drive to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions was going to bring changes to the jobs market.

And when the results of the assessment came in, showing that up to 80,000 skilled workers will be needed in the North East and Yorkshire if the UK is to reach its net zero target by 2030, we knew that this presented a huge opportunity for our region.

A separate study by Energi Coast found that the offshore wind sector alone in the North East can support the creation of between 6,000 and 9,000 jobs by 2025.

It’s clear that the North East will see a big increase in the number of skilled jobs available in the green economy. So how do we make sure people in our region are equipped with the skills needed for these new roles?

Meeting the demand for new, skilled workers

If we’re to meet this demand for new, skilled roles, we need to start with our training provision: one of the first things we do must be to increase the current capacity we have for training people and equipping them with ‘green skills’. Even though many of these new roles will emerge in years to come, we need the teachers, trainers and courses in place now for people to begin to upskill.

That’s why the North East LEP has been working with training providers and businesses to roll out Skills Bootcamps for green skills in our region.

These bootcamps are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gain skills for life, and we were awarded £2.4 million for bootcamps focusing specifically on the green skills that we know our region needs.

New and flexible ways of learning

We are building a skills offer to enable the North East to achieve a green and sustainable carbon neutral future.

As part of this we’re increasing and diversifying the North East’s skills provision by introducing and testing new types of training courses and new methods of learning.

These widely accessible Skills Bootcamps are for people over the age of 19, including those who are already employed in green sectors and are adding to their current skillset to progress in the workplace; people who are currently self-employed, providing them with the skills and qualifications needed to access increased contracting opportunities; and people who want to get a job in renewable energy, domestic retrofit or electric vehicles for the first time, providing flexible courses to help them secure new roles.

And as well as individual learners, who can access the Skills Bootcamps free of charge, the training is open to businesses which are looking to upskill their existing workforce.

An evolving offer

Our aim is to continue gathering evidence about the skills people will need in the future.  We’re talking to employers about what they need, and we’ll develop our training offer to make sure it fits the needs of the green economy as it grows and develops

Registration for the first wave of Green Skills Bootcamps in the North East is open now. Find out more here.  

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£2.4 million awarded to deliver green skills training in the North East

Funding of £2.4 million has been awarded to deliver a new programme of Skills Bootcamps in green skills in the North East, helping to equip people with the skills they need to take on roles in the growing ‘green economy’.

Coordinated by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP), the courses cover topics ranging from green construction to wind energy, and are on offer to anyone over the age of 19. They are funded by the Government’s National Skills Fund.

Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East LEP, said: “We know that, with the national drive to reduce carbon emissions, thousands more skilled jobs will emerge in the energy sector in our region.

“We want people and businesses in the North East to be in a position to take advantage of these opportunities and that’s why we’re working with employers and training providers to deliver this new programme of Skills Bootcamps.”

The Skills Bootcamps in green skills are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. They are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gain skills for life.

Learners can gain accredited and non-accredited qualifications at a range of levels and the Skills Bootcamps in the North East are designed to prepare people for a variety of job roles including working with renewable energy technologies like solar and wind power, and retrofitting homes with equipment such as heat pumps.

The Skills Bootcamps in green skills are open to individual learners and also to businesses that want to upskill existing staff.

“The bootcamps in our region are informed by recent studies which have taken place, looking at the skills which will be needed in our energy sector in the coming years,” added Michelle.

“They’re perfect for someone who wants to add to their existing skillset – for example, a plumber who wants to learn how to install heat pumps – and also for people who want to enter the renewable energy industry for the first time, whether they are self-employed, unemployed or currently work in a different sector altogether.”

The Domestic Retrofit Skills Needs Assessment, which was commissioned by the North East LEP and the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, revealed that up to 80,000 skilled workers will be needed in the North East and Yorkshire if the UK is to reach its net zero target by 2030. It identified the types of skills required and areas where existing training provision needs to be extended.

The North East LEP is working with training providers and businesses in the region to tailor the Bootcamps to the North East’s skills requirements and to ensure that learners are offered a guaranteed interview with a local employer on completing the course.

Registration for the first wave of Skills Bootcamps in green skills in the North East is open now. Find out more at www.northeastgrowthhub.co.uk/skills-bootcamps/

Photo by Michael Fousert on Unsplash

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High Force Research apprenticeship case study

In conversation with Jane Klotz, HR Manager at High Force Research

Why did High Force Research choose to invest in apprenticeships?

There are two reasons why the company is so supportive of apprenticeships.

The first is that it’s at the heart of our directors whose own career journeys started down that route. It’s very much a value that we have within the organisation; to give young people an opportunity and route into life sciences.

And second, we see it as a great way to attract young talent, especially those that feel University isn’t the route for them. We could be losing out on some great chemists by only taking on graduates.

What are some of the benefits of taking on an apprentice?

We can mold apprentices in the way we want to, and by learning on the job they very quickly become productive. We are able to get our apprentices working alongside our existing team early on and teach them the things we think they need to learn.

The two apprentices in the company at the moment – Charlie and Jude – are both very committed, and so are the two new apprentices we’re taking on in the autumn. They’ve all demonstrated a real willingness to learn and a passion for life sciences.

Apprenticeships are cost effective too. We’ve chosen to pay more than the apprenticeship rate, and we review salaries annually as they progress through their training. There are no tuition fees for the apprentice to pay and because we’re an SME we only pay a nominal amount towards their academic learning. So it’s really good value for money.

Do you think there is a lack of understanding in the sector about the value of apprenticeships?

Yes, definitely. Historically people still see apprenticeships as being a poor relation to other qualifications.

Apprenticeships are certainly working for us, and the conversations I’ve been having with peers in recent weeks suggest they are beginning to open their eyes and see them as a way forward too.

Why do you think apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications are an important route to careers in health and life sciences?

University isn’t for everyone; I didn’t go to university. How many 18 years old really know what they want to do as a career. Choosing the right degree, and the cost implications that come with it, can be difficult depending on your socio-economic background.

Apprenticeships give people the option to pursue something they love and be on a financial par with graduates. Our apprentices will achieve two qualifications, a degree in Laboratory Science and an apprenticeship qualification. The apprenticeship covers a lot more around business management and all the processes the apprenticeship framework covers. It makes them a very well rounded individual.

Apprenticeships build that understanding of the workplace and develop a business mindset.

Do you think apprenticeships can help address some of the skill gaps in the sector?

Yes, definitely. Because of the way the course is structured and apprentices join from age 18 and 19, we can start to lay those foundations to help them understand what skills and knowledge they need, how we do business, and what the world of work is about. And at the same time they’re learning the technical skills and knowledge that enable them to do the job effectively.

How has the High Force Research apprenticeship programme benefitted the company?

Both Charlie and Jude have a real enthusiasm for what they do and that’s reflected in the quality of their work.

In the second year of his apprenticeship, Jude was one of our most experienced QC analysts. His productivity, even within the first two years of his four-year course, was phenomenal. And Charlie is very much the same.

In the first six months of an apprenticeship, people are picking up the skills, techniques and knowledge so they’re not as productive at that stage. But that changes very quickly and Charlie and Jude are now training some of our new graduates.

Graduates often come to us with a degree in chemistry, but they’ve then got to apply that knowledge to a workplace environment. And it’s all quite new for them; it’s on a completely different scale to what they’ve experienced at University. They don’t, for example, understand the quality system we work towards, whereas our apprentices are learning that from day one. That’s why they’re able to train and mentor new starters.

Why should other health and life sciences businesses consider taking on apprentices?

It’s good for business. I think people worry its going to be a huge burden but it’s actually contributing to your success.

It helps with succession planning too as you’re creating a pipeline of future talent. You also get to nurture that talent and help people grow through their careers.

We’re making sure our apprentices have the opportunity to work in different areas too, so Charlie, for example, will be working with the R&D team. He will be building on the skills he already has.

It’s good for business and I think it’s the right thing to do; it’s a moral obligation.

What advice would you give to other health and life sciences businesses that are considering taking on apprentices?

Think about where that young person would be best placed within the business. Have you got a good team around them and can you allocate a mentor. Do you need to provide some training for that person to be a good mentor or do you already have those skills within your existing team?

Be really clear that you’re giving that young person the best possible experience so you’re setting them up to succeed, not to fail.

We decided to take on two apprentices so they could buddy up with each other. It can be tough fitting in work, study and meeting various deadlines. We do provide time for them to study, and we also provide flexible working. Businesses should think about their working pattern and if they have the right supervision in place.

Finding the right partner is also key. Some providers ask apprentices to go in once a week, and others provide distance learning. Businesses need to consider what the right learning style is for each individual apprentice. You do need to make sure your apprentices are hitting their milestones, and the partnership provider will help with that.

We also had no problem finding apprentices. We advertised via the government website and within one week we had 50 applicants.

I think businesses have a responsibility to create opportunities for young people. They’re the talent of the future.

In conversation with Charlie Ellison and Jude Humphrey, apprentices at High Force Research

Why did you choose to study an apprenticeship over other routes to employment, e.g. A Levels?

Jude: When I was at school I always liked the practical side of things, and the unique appeal of an apprenticeship was that I’d get to work in a lab every day doing hands on work alongside the academic work. That really appealed to me

An apprenticeship is a really good opportunity to get the skills you need in industry whilst you’re studying. And you’re also earning a wage at the same time.

Charlie: For me it was about gaining experience in the workplace, specifically in a lab environment, whilst still achieving a degree. It really gives you an edge over people that go down the university route because they have the theory, but not the manufacturing experience.

You save a lot of money too, there are no tuition fees to think about. Our fees are paid and we earn a wage.

How do you think gaining practical experience while you study will benefit your career?

Charlie: When I’ve spoken to chemists that came from an undergraduate route, they’ve told me lots of jobs they’ve applied for require two years’ experience. Because Jude and I have chosen an apprenticeship route, we now have four years’ experience. That gives us a significant head start over other people. It really improves your confidence as you develop in your career.

Jude: If we were up against the same person going for a job, but they were fresh out of university, we’ve got the same degree but five years of industry experience and we’re fully trained. That gives us a massive advantage over that person.

Also, some of the work I do at university as part of my apprenticeship feeds into my role at High Force Research, and vice versa. I work in analytical chemistry and we’ve just got a new analytical unit at university. A lot of the work we’ve done I already know, which has given me a head start with coursework. I’m also learnt a lot of new things that I can bring into the business too.

What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?

Jude: I think for me it’s getting to do lab work everyday. I get to do a range of different analytical techniques and employ a wide range of skills. I’m always being trained in new things so work always feels fresh and different.

As part of our apprenticeship we get 20% of our time to invest in studying and training so I’ve done a first aid course and fire warden training, which has given me some additional qualifications.

We also still get to visit University and take part in social events with other people on our course, so we’re not missing out on that university experience either.

Charlie: There’s a great team of chemists and office staff here who are always available to help me, Jude and new starters to the business. It’s such a nice friendly group of people. The management team is always pushing to give us extra opportunities and experiences too. I got to work in our research site at NETPark and do some completely different chemistry, which was an excellent experience.

It’s a nice feeling to know you’re being trusted with new opportunities. We’re not treated like an apprentice; we feel part of the team.

Why should other young people interested in a career in health and life sciences consider an apprenticeship?

Charlie: After doing it for three years, I definitely wouldn’t change my decision about doing an apprenticeship. For me, it’s been a much better experience than going to university.

I’ve really valued being trusted and having the opportunity to work alongside high-level chemists as well as lecturers. Jude and I are currently the only two apprentices at High Force Research and we get to be around PhD and masters chemists who share their knowledge with us and help us develop. We learn things you just wouldn’t cover at university.

Jude: You get a real in-depth knowledge of industry and understand how a company works. People that do a degree don’t get that. We’ve gained skills in other areas too, like business improvement, and health and safety. We’ve also seen how to take an idea right through to the product stage.

There’s also the added benefit that, for most people studying an apprenticeship, you have a guaranteed job after too.

To find out more about High Force Research, visit highforceresearch.com

To find out more about apprenticeships, visit northeastambition.co.uk/options

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Creating a coordinated approach to technical education in the North East

In 2016 government laid out its plans to transform technical education in the UK. And between 2017 and 2021, five local areas worked with the Gatsby Foundation to lay the groundwork for a collaborative roll-out of technical education, with a focus on T-levels, in their area.

Kim Smith, Regional Lead: Education and Enterprise at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP), explains how the North East is using what’s been learnt to create a coordinated T-level offer in this region.  

Following a technical education option, such as traineeships, apprenticeships or T-Levels, can open the door to skilled employment in sectors from catering, to health and science, and construction. It can help people upskill and reskill throughout their careers and, for employers, it is a system they can shape to deliver the skills they need.

In the North East, we know that a collaborative approach has been shown to be the preferred, and most effective, way of embedding a new approach to learning. And so we were delighted to be invited to capture the learning on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation from the Local Areas Programme.

Laying the groundwork in five regions

The Local Areas Programme worked with five areas – Greater Manchester Combined Authority; Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership; Liverpool City Region; Sheffield City Region; and West Midlands Combined Authority. Each area aimed to become ‘routes ready’ – that is, ready to ensure clear pathways for individuals into, and through, technical and higher technical education.

Although the North East wasn’t one of the five areas involved, our role was to produce a report highlighting the key takeaways for those regions poised to engage in technical education planning exercises, and this meant that we could gain first-hand access to lessons and good practice, and implement them here in our region.

So, what were the key takeaways, and how are we putting them into practice in the North East?

Achieving buy-in

We’ve created a governance structure which includes the largest regional college group, educational partnerships, and senior representation from government departments, local authorities, business, sector specific bodies, trade unions and the third sector.

And we’ve created a North East LEP T-Level Stakeholder Group and a T-level Provider Group, to enable the sharing of lessons learnt in the delivery and preparation for delivery of T-levels. This structure has enabled us to feed back experiences from the Provider Group up to a stakeholder group made of national partners with key roles in the implementation of T-levels, from the Association of Colleges through to awarding organisations and the Education Training Foundation.

Provider engagement

Communities of practice have been established comprising of existing T-level providers and those planning to deliver, or with an interest in finding out more. Building on the ‘routes ready’ approach we have convened and facilitated route networks, with those responsible for the planning and delivery of T-levels invited to attend. As a result of this, we’re exploring knowledge transfer between FE and HE and the possibility of technical placements supported by universities – for example using lab facilities. And we’re thrilled that Newcastle University has conducted a rigorous mapping exercise highlighting those undergraduate courses recognising T-levels; the University of Sunderland has taken this one step further in using T-levels as a vehicle for learners to access their Nursing Cadet programme and progress into their Nursing degree courses, with a guaranteed interview for T-level learners in the Health Routeway, and this approach is currently being explored by Northumbria University.

Route Networks have been created for subject areas including construction, health, digital and manufacturing and engineering. Each network meets termly with representation from the awarding bodies, the Head of Route from Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, employer and sector bodies, and local universities. These enable all those with an interest in a particular route to understand the qualification, share experiences and connect with key partners to support the delivery of T-levels.

Engaging with employers

T-levels provide a great opportunity for employers to co-design and deliver a curriculum which is responsive to employer need. A key takeaway has been the recognition of lead-in time required to establish and consolidate relationships with employers. When this is achieved it is not only the learner who benefits from an engaging industry placement, but also teachers have had the opportunity to update their industrial knowledge.

SMEs in the region were able to benefit from the financial incentive programme for hosting industrial placements and businesses including Gateshead’s INFINITY 27 have been instrumental in their support for T-levels, hosting learners and supporting their progression into industry. One North East SME has also been approached to represent T-Levels nationally as part of the Department for Education’s T-Level Ambassador Network.

We are also finalising discussions with Health Education England and the Gatsby Foundation to test a pilot for supporting industry placements across the NHS, and the North East LEP has been invited to represent the national LEP Network on the Department for Education’s employer support advisory body for T-levels. And we are thrilled that the Chair of the National Construction Route Panel for IfATE is Tanja Smith, Director of Technical Education from Ryton-based SME, Gradon Architecture.

Working with the careers community

Promoting T-levels and the wider technical education pathways has never been more important, and this includes ensuring there is parity between traditional academic routes, an understanding of progression routes and dispelling myths often association with technical education. This is why we are supporting careers leaders in primary, secondary and post-16 education with resources and training to give them the knowledge and confidence to embed technical education in their careers programmes, with short films being launched in September demonstrating the value of T-levels through the lens of learners, teachers and employers. We’re also piloting a place-based approach in Gateshead, strengthening relationships between Enterprise Advisers in this locality who help schools, colleges and sixth forms to support greater access to the range of technical education pathways available to learners.

Next steps

15 more T-level providers are coming on board in the North East LEP area and they will be looking to enrol their first T-level students in 2024. We are committed to ensuring that the lessons learnt from the early T-level adopters are shared to make the introduction and delivery of T-levels seamless.

If you are planning to commence delivery of T-levels, get in touch so we can connect you to all the support available.

And we also want to hear from businesses. Technical education is shaped by employers and you can not only upskill your workforce but also plan for the future by creating links with the next generation of skilled workers.

Businesses and education providers can get in touch for more information by emailing [email protected]. See the T-levels on offer already in the North East here.

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Finding the right path after results day

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) has worked with schools and colleges to provide guidance for students and their parents, as they navigate the range of post-16 and post-18 options available to them.

As thousands of students receive their exam results, Matt Joyce from the North East LEP explains what support is available.

The North East LEP has always worked really closely with schools and colleges to help make sure that each and every young person in our region has the opportunity to be successful in whatever career they choose. And an important part of this is helping people to understand all the options that are open to them when they move on from school or college.

As we’re heading towards exam results days, we know that lots of young people and their parents will be feeling the pressure to make the right decision about what they do next. So we wanted to provide a simple guide to all the pathways which young people can take, from A levels to apprenticeships and from T Levels to traineeships.

On our North East Ambition website (www.NorthEastAmbition.co.uk), people can watch a short film which tells young people about their options. So anyone who’s unsure about their next steps can watch the video and get a simple comparison of the different pathways – including apprenticeships, traineeships, a range of vocational and technical qualifications, and, depending on their age and previous qualifications, higher education.

We know that parents often have a huge influence on their children’s future plans and that there’s been significant change in the education landscape in recent years, so these resources have been designed to update and help inform decision-making at what can be a stressful time.

There is information on A levels and T levels, as well as other vocational and technical options, and apprenticeships, which can now be taken up to degree level. 

North East Ambition doesn’t replace the advice young people get at school or college, but it complements it, giving easy-to-digest information that families can look at together.

We also have a film created specifically for SEND students and their parents – again, this can be found on the North East Ambition site – and both videos provide links to the National Careers Service, where people can go for more in-depth information and support once they have an idea of the range of options there are.

Most importantly, I want people to know there is support out there.

If you don’t know what path to take, or if things haven’t worked out as you’d hoped, don’t panic. Make sure you ask for advice and speak to someone to talk through your options, whether that’s someone at your school or college, someone within your local authority, or the National Careers Service.

Young people have come through such a difficult time over the past two years and the world looks very different after the pandemic. That’s why we’re doubling down on our work to support schools and colleges, and help each and every young person gain the skills they need for their next steps in life.

Visit NorthEastAmbition.co.uk/options to see information on post-16 and post-18 pathways.

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Raising skills levels in the North East while navigating national change

How will the government review of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) affect the work going on to improve skills in the North East? Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East LEP, gives an update.

In February of this year, the government published its Levelling Up white paper which not only set out proposals to spread opportunity more equally throughout the UK, but also reviewed and clarified the role that LEPs will play going forward.

This review recognised the valuable role LEPs play in supporting local economic growth and it confirmed that one of our core aims as a LEP will still be to ensure North East residents of all ages have the opportunity to develop skills that match the opportunities in the labour market.

The North East LEP and its skills programme is very much aligned with the government’s vision and confirmation of this has been useful and positive.

As a result, many things about the way we work will stay the same following the review. We will still be facilitating partnerships between business and education. We will still be working to make sure that each and every young person in our region can access the world of work when they leave education. And we will still be working with businesses to help them become more successful by upskilling their teams and creating links with the next generation. 

In terms of change, there is more for us to do in terms of supporting individual businesses and sectors in our region to overcome their particular challenges. We’ll be working closely with our business growth colleagues who are speaking to companies day in and day out, to find out what the issues are which are preventing them from growing and scaling and to provide a solution or support where we can, such as guiding people through the options for recruiting apprentices, or helping businesses to get involved with shaping the region’s new technical education offer.

We’ll also be looking at challenges businesses face in a range of sectors, like social care, which are big employers in our region but which fall outside the six sectors which have been identified in the North East Strategic Economic Plan as key areas of growth and opportunity (these are advanced manufacturing, digital, energy, and health and life sciences). After all, having an appropriately-skilled and qualified population is good for businesses in every industry.

So while we will be aligning everything we do with government priorities, the needs of people, education providers and businesses in our particular geography will always be our focus.

And while change can be difficult to navigate – and we’ve definitely been through a lot of change recently – taking a long term view can help. This applies to us at the North East LEP and it applies to businesses too. If you see skills as something which can help you secure the future of your business in the long term, and you can spend some time now on training, apprenticeships and T-Level placements, you’ll be in a better position to navigate change in the future. And we can help you do that.

Skills was a priority for us before the government review and it’s still a priority now. We want all businesses in the North East to be able to get the skills support they need, so if there’s a challenge you are facing then please do let us know.

Visit NorthEastLep.co.uk to find out about the North East LEP’s skills programmes, and visit NorthEastGrowthHub.co.uk to access business support.

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In conversation: how the North East can meet the demand for thousands of new, skilled workers

A new study has shown that up to 80,000 skilled workers will be needed in the North East and Yorkshire if the UK is to reach its net zero target by 2030.

How the region can meet this demand and what opportunities will these roles bring for people in the North East? Anthea Pratt, Skills Programme Manager, and David Lynch, Energy Innovation Partnership Manager at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP), explain.

What’s the research that’s been carried out and why was it commissioned?

David: As we know, the UK aims to decarbonise homes by 2050. That means we need to decarbonise around 20,000 homes a week – at the moment, that’s the number we’re achieving in a year.

It’s clear we need to plug this gap and get more people into the energy sector, working on retrofitting properties with low carbon technologies like heat pumps. So what we wanted to do for the North East is make sure we’re in a place to capitalise on this opportunity, and to do that we need to understand the types of skills that will be required, what training we’re currently providing and how we can meet any shortfalls.

What has emerged from the assessment?

David: That it’s a huge opportunity.

Post-pandemic, we’ve seen some sectors retract, and people have been burnt by experiences of redundancy or insecure employment. Whereas energy is a sector that’s growing and the need for this very large number of skilled workers presents a huge opportunity for people in the North East.

Anthea: And if we’re to bring new people into this sector to fill future vacancies, we need the colleges, universities, training providers and assessors in place. These come first.

What kinds of skills are going to be needed?

David: It’s not just skills like installation and manufacturing, it’s also things like digital skills and data analytics. We’ll need people who can work as advisors, helping people make the right choices for their individual property and helping them to navigate the financial side of things.

Anthea: One of the skillsets that needs to increase the most is painting and decorating. We currently have 320 people with painting and decorating skills working in domestic retrofit and that will need to increase to 14,000. People might not think of this as a skill needed in the green economy but we need to change that perception.

What’s going to happen now, to make sure these opportunities are made available for people in the North East?

Anthea: We’ve created a 10 year action plan and are putting it in place now. We’re working with training providers to scale up training provision in our region. We’ve already been awarded £2.4 million to deliver green skills boot camps and in addition to this we’re testing new types of training provision – new qualifications and new ways of delivering them. We’ll be able to share more about this very soon.

David: As well as training provision, we need to think about how we attract people to these roles – both young people entering the workforce, and older people who might be looking to retrain or move from another area of work. Can we give them the confidence they need in the energy sector and help them feel excited about working in a role which will genuinely improve people’s lives?

Working in this sector, you can help people avoid debt and fuel poverty. You can help make sure people have warm, dry homes. It’s about social equality and I’ve seen how this work can change people’s lives.

Details of the Domestic Retrofit Skills Needs Assessment are available on the North East Evidence Hub. The assessment was commissioned by the North East LEP and the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub.