Plans to expand Newcastle College’s Energy Academy in Wallsend have been approved by North Tyneside Council, marking a major milestone in the development of a new £8.5m engineering facility.
The project will see a purpose-built education building and workshop facility created on land next to the College’s existing Energy Academy on Hadrian Road, forming part of a wider vision to develop an enhanced Energy Campus in the heart of Wallsend.
The expansion will enable Newcastle College to significantly increase capacity, with student numbers expected to triple over the next five years. This growth comes at a critical time for the sector, with offshore renewable energy expected to create around 4,500 jobs in manufacturing and engineering on the River Tyne alone over the next 10 years, and the region’s workforce in this area projected to grow to more than 24,000.
The new facility will deliver specialist engineering training aligned to the needs of the offshore wind and renewable energy sectors - supporting the region’s ambitions to lead the UK’s transition to clean energy.
As a leading provider of technical training in the North East, Newcastle College works closely with industry to address skills shortages and create clear pathways into employment. The expansion will further strengthen this role, enabling more people to access high-quality training linked directly to job opportunities in the region. It will become the only training provider in the country to offer training in green skills from entry through to post-graduate level.
Newcastle College will begin work on the new development in the coming weeks, in partnership with Shepherd Offshore, the North East Combined Authority, North Tyneside Council, Elliott Associates, Ryder Architecture and Fairhurst. The site will include industry-standard workshops and learning environments designed in partnership with employers.
Jon Ridley, Principal of Newcastle College, said: “This is a major step forward in our plans to expand the Energy Academy and build on the strong foundations we’ve established in supporting the North East’s growing energy sector.
“The approval of these plans allows us to scale up our impact, strengthen our collaboration with industry, and support even more people into high-quality careers in engineering and renewable energy.
“This investment will play a key role in ensuring the North East has the skilled workforce needed to meet the demands of a fast-growing sector, and we are leading that work from our Wallsend site”
The project follows the approval of £8.48m in funding from the North East Combined Authority and forms part of wider regional plans to drive growth in green jobs and clean energy industries.