£8.5 Million Investment to Transform Newcastle College's Energy Academy into a Green Energy Hub

A major investment of £8.5 million will transform Newcastle College's Energy Academy in Wallsend into a larger Energy Campus, capable of training over 1,000 students each year for work in the renewable, subsea, and offshore industries. This move aims to establish the North East as a leader in green energy, creating thousands of skilled, well-paid jobs for local people and contributing to the region's economic growth.

Key Takeaways:

• The £8.5 million investment will help transform the Energy Academy into a larger Energy Campus, capable of training over 1,000 students each year, triple the current enrollment of 340 students in 2024.
• The Energy Campus will prepare students for work in the renewable, subsea, and offshore industries, with a focus on creating skilled, well-paid jobs in manufacturing and engineering.
• The North East Combined Authority predicts that the sector will create around 4,500 jobs in manufacturing and engineering on the River Tyne alone over the next 10 years.
• The workforce across the entire North East is expected to rise to 24,000, providing new career opportunities for young people growing up in former shipbuilding communities.
• North East mayor Kim McGuinness believes that green energy is as essential to the region's future as shipbuilding and mining were to its past, citing its economic and environmental benefits.
• The investment aligns with plans to regenerate Wallsend town centre, as outlined by North Tyneside Mayor Karen Clark.
• Work on the new facility is expected to be completed in March 2027, with learners starting to use the improved site in the 2027/28 academic year.

Statistics:

• £8.5 million: The investment to enhance Newcastle College's Energy Academy into a larger Energy Campus.
• 1,000: The number of students planned to be trained each year at the Energy Campus, triple the current enrollment of 340 students in 2024.
• 4,500: The number of jobs expected to be created in manufacturing and engineering on the River Tyne alone over the next 10 years.
• 24,000: The workforce across the entire North East expected to rise to over the next 10 years.
• 2024: The year in which 340 students enrolled in the current Energy Academy.
• 2027/28: The academic year in which learners are set to start using the improved Energy Campus.
• 10 years: The time frame in which the sector is expected to create 4,500 jobs in manufacturing and engineering.

Sources:

• North East Combined Authority (NECA)