Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 19
SWDT Chair Steve
Rose with Pamela
Petty, Chair of
Bishop Auckland
College.
Apprentices Calvin Wilson and Fern Archer are evidence
that the partnership between SWDT and Bishop
Auckland College is already reaping rewards.
"We've done quite a lot of work with the
finance director in preparing our budget
forecast for 2015. We've had a tough couple
of years, we're not afraid to admit that, but
our financial position is looking much better.
We're much more settled.
"We can carry on doing the business to
the same high-quality standard, but without
many of the overheads we had before.
"We're now regaining business that
we'd either lost previously, or had maybe
stagnated a bit."
As part of the new arrangements, BAC's
newly-appointed Chair – none other than
Ebac Managing Director Pamela Petty - and
its Principal and Chief Executive, Natalie
Davison, now sit on SWDT's board.
Likewise, SWDT Chair Steve Rose and
Vice-Chair Andy Dunn, from Nifco, both
sit on BAC's Board - bringing a wealth of
engineering and manufacturing experience
and influence around one table.
Like Trevor, Natalie also has an engineering
background. After leaving Woodham
Comprehensive School and doing a degree in
chemical engineering, she began her career
in detergent manufacturing with Procter
& Gamble before moving into the further
education sector in 1997 Natalie taught and
.
managed engineering provision in South
Essex before leading the technology faculty
at Newham College in East London, then a
specialist centre for railway engineering.
Under her stewardship the college is
enjoying a growing reputation for excellence
and was last year named in the top ten per
cent in the country for student success rates
by the Skills Funding Agency, with 91% of
students achieving their qualification.
Natalie said: "There are clear benefits for
both Bishop Auckland College and South
West Durham Training from working together
in close partnership.
"Ensuring skills and training meet the
demands of growth sectors, including
advanced manufacturing/engineering, is a
key priority of the North-East Local Enterprise
Partnership, which is encouraging training
providers to collaborate in this way.
"We are jointly developing high
quality technical training programmes in
engineering, manufacturing and allied
trades including Level 5 HNDs and higher
apprenticeships to address the emerging
skills gap, particularly as highly skilled people
near retirement.
"We boast superb facilities where we can
also deliver bespoke training programmes
and I would encourage employers to