North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Cabinet have approved a £8.48m investment for the expansion of Newcastle College Energy Academy in Wallsend, a move which will help thousands of young people to get the skills needed to find jobs and careers in the region’s fast growing green energy sector.
The new funding will be used for a brand-new building to be constructed on land next to the existing Energy Academy, doubling the floorspace to form a new Energy Campus which will triple the number of students who can enrol each year.
The growth in offshore renewable energy is expected to create around 4,500 jobs in manufacturing and engineering on the River Tyne alone over the next 10 years, with the region’s workforce in this sector also expected to swell to over 24,000.
The Mayor has spoken extensively of her ambition to make the North East the home of the green energy revolution, as she delivers on her pledge to strengthen skills and opportunities for people in the North East.
Mayor McGuinness visited the College’s Energy Academy last week with North Tyneside Mayor Karen Clark. They enjoyed a tour of the facility and met with staff and students to find out more about their offshore and renewables skills training.
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said:
“This £8.48m investment will prepare young people for careers in the renewables and offshore sector - strengthening our commitment to making our region the home of the green energy revolution.
“With this investment, the expansion of the Energy Academy will help even more young people develop the specialist green skills required to meet the needs of one of our region’s fastest growing sectors. Eventually the expansion will mean three times more people can study here which is brilliant. This is such an exciting project for the future of young people in our region, and I was delighted to chat to students and staff at the academy about this investment and see their training in action.”
Karen Clark, Elected Mayor of North Tyneside Council, said:
“It is incredibly exciting to see such a significant investment taking place right here in North Tyneside.
“Expanding the Energy Academy not only opens the door to enhanced training and skills for our residents and especially our young people, but it strengthens our position in the rapidly growing engineering and offshore energy sector.
“This is a catalyst for wider growth along the economic corridor of the River Tyne too as well as supporting our regeneration of Wallsend Town Centre. It will help unlock the potential for new businesses in the Investment Zone, helping us to harness the full potential of the green industry in our borough.”
Jon Ridley, Principal of Newcastle College, said:
“Newcastle College’s Energy Academy has been a cornerstone of skills development in the North East’s rapidly expanding clean energy sector for 13 years — empowering today’s workforce and inspiring and developing the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow.
“Our bold proposal to expand the Energy Academy represents a transformative step forward: scaling up our impact, strengthening our collaboration with industry, and equipping even more people with the skills needed to lead the green energy revolution.
“It was fantastic to welcome the North East Mayor and Mayor of North Tyneside to our Energy Academy to show them the real potential of this investment. We are proud to be driving this vision and are excited about the expansion of our Wallsend site."
The Energy Academy project forms the next phase of the Investment Zone skills programme, following approval of the MADE NE project in July 2024, and the Energy Central Institute in February 2025. This project is aligned to the North East Local Growth Plan to strengthen and diversify skills for offshore and renewable energy.
See more here: https://www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/news/education-skills-and-inclusion/majo...