Newcastle College is thrilled to be the venue for this year's International Skills Summit: Skills for the Future, hosted by WorldSkills UK.
It will be the first time that the annual summit, which was launched four years ago, will be held in the North East, with guests including educators and employers gathering at Newcastle College’s Rye Hill Campus on Thursday 25 May.
The event will explore how world-class skills can support resilient regional growth and unlock opportunities for people of all backgrounds to gain the high-value jobs of today, and tomorrow.
It also promises to offer unique insights into how technical education and apprenticeships can underpin international competitiveness in future-focused sectors and industries.
Attendees will hear from leading figures in government, education and industry, including Principal of Newcastle College, Scott Bullock, the Chief Executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, Jennifer Coupland and Ofsted’s Deputy Director for Further Education & Skills Paul Joyce.
Immediately following the summit, there will be a reception to mark three years of the WorldSkills UK’s Centre of Excellence programme, which is run in partnership with NCFE. Newcastle College, as part of national college group NCG, was selected to join the Centre of Excellence last year and works closely with WorldSkills UK and its Centre of Excellence community to share best practice and raise standards in technical education, to support learners into successful careers.
Commenting on hosting the event for the first time, Scott Bullock said: "I’m pleased to confirm that Newcastle College will be welcoming guests to our campus for this year’s International Skills Summit.
“Our mission is to develop the skills and talents of our students to succeed in modern enterprise, and as part of the Centre of Excellence community, we are dedicated to driving up standards in technical education in support of that mission.
“This Summit is an important opportunity to share ideas and I’m looking forward to meeting with those from across the sector to explore the value of hands-on, technical education and how it can support the development of tomorrow’s workforce.”
Emma Roberts, Director of External Affairs, WorldSkills UK added: “We are delighted to bring the WorldSkills UK International Skills Summit to Newcastle College. With guest speakers from both the UK and our partners in the international skills community, we are looking forward to an event full of lively discussion and informative debate on skills for the future. It is also fantastic to celebrate the success of the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, run in partnership with NCFE, and see how the educators and learners at Newcastle College have benefited from the programme.”