The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), the UK’s largest automotive cluster, has secured £3.3 million to get more people - including the long term unemployed - into work in the region’s advanced manufacturing sector.
Between them, two new UK Shared Prosperity Fund projects will see at least 200 South Tyneside residents engaged in pre-employment activity – including at least 60 placed in advanced manufacturing jobs by April 2025 – and the creation of over 20 technical apprenticeships.
The £1.9m Training For Growth pilot aims to create a comprehensive framework to boost the number of Level 3 technical apprenticeships in Sunderland. It is funded by Sunderland City Council UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is an innovative partnership between the NEAA and Education Partnership North East (EPNE).
Meanwhile, the £1.4m Inclusivity Pilot in Advanced Manufacturing, South Tyneside (IPAM-ST), funded by South Tyneside Council, will assist South Tyneside residents, who are economically inactive, unemployed, or not in education, employment, or training (NEET), to access a vocational skills pathway leading to employment in the Advanced Manufacturing sector.
The NEAA’s operational role will include leading and managing staff employed on the pilot in pursuit of its objectives and policies, working closely with other bodies to develop and promote the programme to SMEs and promoting the objectives, actions and achievements to wider stakeholders both regionally and nationally.
Paul Butler, chief executive of the North East Automotive Alliance, said: “The region has many outstanding manufacturing companies, who are contributing enormously to the local economy, not least by the creation of many thousands of high-quality jobs.
“However, the biggest potential barrier to continued success, is the regular supply of a skilled workforce. Both of the projects we are now facilitating, in conjunction with key partners and stakeholders, will play an important part in filling that gap and, more significantly, providing a real opportunity for people that have been unemployed for some time, to step forward and rebuild their lives through new skills and training.”
The Training for Growth pilot is directly aligned with the priorities outlined in the North East Local Skills Improvement Plan (NELSIP) and has been shaped by comprehensive analyses conducted over several years by local stakeholders. It brings together businesses, employer bodies and training providers to address the critical shortage of engineering technicians in Sunderland and the wider North East region, particularly within the advanced manufacturing and net-zero technologies.
The pilot will provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises in Sunderland to enable them to take on Level 3 technical apprentices as part of the September 2024 intake. This support will help cover the additional costs that employers will incur in the first year of the programme and will support up to 21 apprentice positions across the Sunderland region.
Cllr Kevin Johnston, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Business at Sunderland City Council, said: “Thousands of jobs are set to be created across the city over the coming years as our economy continues to diversify and grow, and initiatives such as Training for Growth will be key to ensuring we capitalise on this.
“By working closely with the business community, we will not only be able to identify the skills and knowledge gaps within the workforce that are required to fill the roles, but also provide the training and opportunities to help upskill residents and get more people into work.
“We’re delighted to be leading on the project on behalf of the wider Sunderland partnership and can’t wait to get started.”
The Inclusivity Pilot in Advanced Manufacturing, South Tyneside (IPAM-ST), will assist South Tyneside residents to access a vocational skills pathway leading to employment in the advanced manufacturing sector. At least 150 residents in the borough will be engaged in pre-employment activity and the project will seek to place at least 60 people in advanced manufacturing jobs by April 2025. While the fund is for the residents of South Tyneside, potential employers can be based anywhere in the North East.
The pilot will have a strong employer focus, enabling SMEs, of all sizes, to identify their technical skill requirements and access high quality technical skills development for their current and future workforce.
This innovative approach seeks to be self-sustaining and support equivalent best-practice pathways in other sectors, including construction and health. Unemployment and economic inactivity are acute issues in South Tyneside, disproportionately impacting residents and constraining the local economy.
This pilot will seek to address the challenges presented by a long-term cycle of unemployment and economic inactivity and will provide residents with assistance to access jobs with local employers, through the NEAA’s links with member organisations. Local agencies such as DWP and South Tyneside Works will be key partners in this project and integral to its success.
Cllr Margaret Meling, South Tyneside Council Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport, said: “Connecting residents to jobs and skills is one of the council’s five ambitions and enabling the long-term unemployed and economically inactive to access opportunities in the green economy, is central to that.
“We know that South Tyneside and our region is right at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, automotive and engineering and it’s vital that we nurture our workforce and equip people with the right skills so they can capitalise on these opportunities.”