Newcastle College welcomed BBC Radio 5 Live to campus today, giving students from across the North East the opportunity to make their voices heard on national radio.
Newcastle College and Newcastle Sixth Form College hosted a morning of live broadcasting, bringing together young people, education experts and industry professionals to discuss the issues shaping the next generation's lives and futures.
The morning began at Newcastle Sixth Form College, where BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast broadcast live from 6am until 9am.
During the programme, Newcastle College Principal Jon Ridley was interviewed live by presenter Rachel Burden, discussing how the College is preparing young people for the world of work, the growing influence of artificial intelligence and the role of education in driving the North East's economy.
From 9am, attention turned to Newcastle College's HE Hub, where broadcaster Nicky Campbell hosted a special two-hour Teen Summit in front of a live audience of 50 young people.
Ten students from Newcastle College and Newcastle Sixth Form College joined young people from schools and colleges across the region, sharing their experiences, opinions and perspectives with a national audience.
The programme explored some of the biggest challenges facing teenagers today, including reading, artificial intelligence and proposals to restrict social media access for under-16s. The discussions were informed by new research commissioned by BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize, which surveyed more than 2,000 teenagers across the UK.
Joining the discussions was a panel featuring Georgia Gibson, Professional Game Academy Education Lead at Newcastle United Women; Alfie Watts, winner of BBC One's Race Across the World; Dr Emily Yarrow, Senior Lecturer in Management and Organisations at Newcastle University Business School; and careers coach Mark Anderson.
Together with the young audience, the panel explored the opportunities and challenges facing teenagers as they prepare for their futures.
Jon Ridley, Principal of Newcastle College, said: “Today has been a landmark occasion for Newcastle College. Welcoming one of the country's leading national radio programmes to our campus is a huge moment for the College and a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent, ambition and potential of young people across the North East.
“We've been at the heart of a national conversation about the future of young people. These are the issues that matter to our students, from artificial intelligence and social media to education and careers, and today they've had the opportunity to share their views with millions of listeners across the country.
“What has stood out to me is the confidence, intelligence and ambition of the young people involved. At Newcastle College, we see that talent every day. Our role is to nurture it, connect students with opportunities and equip them with the skills to shape their futures. Today has been a powerful demonstration of what young people in our region have to offer, and I'm delighted we've been able to bring that conversation to the national stage.”
The broadcast also gave students a rare opportunity to experience a major national radio programme being produced live from their campus, while contributing to discussions heard across the country.
Jack Hedley, Level 2 Hospitality and Catering student at Newcastle College, said: “Working with Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live was amazing. It felt like we were bringing teenagers' views to life and that people were actually listening to what we had to say, rather than brushing us aside because of our generation.”
Olivia Batey, T Level Mental Health student at Newcastle College, said: “It was really interesting hearing so many different viewpoints and personal experiences. I particularly enjoyed hearing how people's experiences have shaped their opinions and what they believe in.”
Elliot Smith, Level 3 Games Design student at Newcastle College, said: “It was a really great experience hearing from people my own age about the challenges they're facing. Being part of something like this was a big moment for me, and I think it's helped boost my confidence and given me the opportunity to share my own views.”
The Teen Summit formed part of a wider morning of programming across both campuses, bringing BBC Radio 5 Live's national audience to the heart of the North East and putting its young people at the centre of the conversation.
BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast co-presenter Rachel Burden said: “It was fantastic to spend the morning at Newcastle College. Everyone looked after us so well, and it was really impressive to hear about the investment being put into young people, the link ups with local industry, and the sense of optimism about the future for this generation in the North East.”
BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast and Nicky Campbell's Teen Summit were broadcast live from Newcastle College and Newcastle Sixth Form College on Tuesday 20 October.
Listeners can catch up on both programmes through BBC Sounds.