Middlesbrough College invests in the region’s future with its industry-ready students
HOSTS TEESSIDE HEAT AT £100M CAMPUS
AN industry-ready workforce is vital if the Teesside economy is to continue to thrive - and providing that talent pipeline is what Middlesbrough
College is all about. Or, as principal, Zoe Lewis puts it: “Our students don’t just walk away with a piece of paper and a qualification, they have all those rounded industry sector skills.”
Huge investment, high-tech facilities and lecturers with expertise in their field have catapulted the college into the go-to place of study for its 13,000 students, many of whom combine practical and academic learning.
“We are the biggest college in the area and people come a long way to come to us,” explained Zoe. “So we take that obligation very seriously to make sure we are matching what industry needs and make sure the talent pool is there.”
‘It’s also why the college is so keen to celebrate the successes of our region’s businesses. This year, it is co-headline sponsor of the prestigious North
East Business Awards and hosted the Teesside heat on June 23, at its Middlehaven campus.’ ‘The awards are a chance both to celebrate.’
It’s a chance both to celebrate success and give companies a deeper insight into the skills being developed at the £100m centre of excellence, as Zoe explained: “We love the fact that the awards put Teesside on the map,there’s some good work going on in Tees Valley at the moment around green energy and digital so it’s great to see companies putting themselves forward, getting recognised and going on to represent the region in the Grand Final.
“We are also really pleased to get all those businesses down to Middlehaven to meet some students, look at the facilities and realise how important it is that businesses are linked with education. We are actively working with inward investors, have been focusing on STEM subjects for many years and moving into green and clean energy, so it really fits with our mission which is helping businesses get the skills they need.”
Since relocating to Middlehaven in 2008, Middlesbrough College has continued to develop a range of outstanding facilities and equipment and is proud to have one of the best college campuses in the UK – valued at over £100m.
MC Digital, at the heart of Middlesbrough College’s Middlehaven
campus, is an industry-standard school with the latest tech from VR to video editing suites, studios, 3D animation and games development. Designed closely with real employers from Teesside’s fast-growing digital sector, the centre had its official opening in April.
A university centre and a construction centre have opened up, and there are plans to relocate education training provider, TTE, to the site in the next two years. The college has a big apprenticeship training arm, Northern Skills, which covers the whole region.
Zoe said: “We are a really diverse college - we’ve 13,000 students from entry level to masters degree but our unique selling point is that we’ve got industry-standard facilities, staff who have largely worked in the industries in which they now teach - and really strong links with employers that give students a lot of exposure to the workplace which helps us get really good progression into jobs from our courses.”