Barrier Ex Ltd has announced a partnership deal with Newcastle College’s Energy Academy to help deliver ‘work-ready’ students for the region’s engineering and manufacturing industries.
As the first official Silver Employee Partner of the Academy, the Wallsend-based specialist in hazardous area, LED, GRP and Electrical Engineering solutions, will collaborate with the college to help create a more vocational approach to training for the sector.
The Energy Academy is focussed on creating an employer-led approach to delivering higher education and skills training in North Tyneside – which also involves identifying and responding to areas of skill shortages.
The Employer Partner Initiative will see the College joining forces with local employers to deliver tailored training and qualifications to support their business needs.
The partnership with Barrier Ex staff sees them become the first business to join the initiative and will involve staff regularly visiting the academy to speak to students and pass on their skills and knowledge. Discussions are also underway to create work placements to provide students with a greater workplace understanding.
Based in Wallsend, the Energy Academy lies at the heart of the region’s subsea industry, and is a centre of innovation, training and a provider of further and higher education for the region’s energy sector.
It is positioning itself to play a major role in the offshore wind sector, following the recent Government wind energy sector deal announcement. Offshore wind is expected to provide a third of the UK’s electricity needs by 2030, presenting major opportunities for the region’s sector-leading supply chain.
The Energy Academy offers training for under-18s as well as training for older students in a variety of energy-related disciplines from Level 2 up to degree level study. Skills training includes welding, solar technology, electrical and mechanical engineering and CAD design, as well as wind turbine maintenance training through the world’s most advanced Hybrid reality (iHR) system.
Steven Lee, Managing Director of Barrier Ex Ltd, said: “As a local company, we are keen to give something back to the area. By working closely with the Energy Academy, together we can uncover those talented engineers of the future who will play a pivotal role in this region’s future prosperity.
“The academy’s vocational-led approach is designed to give businesses such as ours, involved in manufacturing and engineering, the work-ready skills and knowledge we need.
“We’re ambitious and focussed on growing the business but that requires a reliable source of talented and responsive employees, which is why this partnership is so important for our continued success.”
Barrier Ex Ltd is a member of business development organisation, NOF, which supports the supply chain across the global energy sector to identify new business opportunities.
Paul Livingstone, Head of Business Development at NOF, said: “Barrier Ex is a forward-thinking business, which is forging a partnership with an education provider to deliver the next generation of talented employees.”
Alan Goundry, Head of the Energy Academy, said: “We want to collaborate with industry to tailor higher education and training to meet its changing needs and emerging skills gaps.
“Our Employer Partnership initiative will allow us to further develop the strong levels of employer-support as part of an inclusive approach to training. Students receive a quality vocational experience and businesses receive people with the right work-ready qualifications tailored to their needs.”
“We are delighted that Barrier Ex is the first official Silver Employer Partner and its support reflects our commitment to engaging with local employers to increase booth the quality and effectiveness of the training we offer.”