TOMORROW ’ S WORLD
Investment – Redcar and Cleveland College principal Jason Faulkner and head of department for engineering and construction Neil Bowen with some of the new equipment .
PICTURES BY TOM BANKS
How investment at Redcar and Cleveland College will help to support jobs of the future
I t ’ s fair to say that Redcar and Cleveland College has undergone something of a transformation in recent years .
Re-establishing its place at the heart of the community , it aims to bring skills and opportunities to the area that will benefit those on its doorstep .
No surprise , then , that faced with the unprecedented challenges of lockdown , the team seized the opportunity to up their game yet again .
The result is a quarter of a million pound investment in refreshed engineering facilities at the college , at a time when demand for highly skilled workers in Redcar and Cleveland , and indeed the wider Tees Valley , is expected to surge .
“ Our aim is to ensure in Redcar we are equipped locally to train people with the technical skills required to meet the needs that developments like Teesworks are bringing to the area ,” said college principal Jason Faulkner .
He explains that this means not only teaching the skills and the knowledge of a trade , but also giving students and learners the behaviours and competencies needed to do the jobs right . In March this year the college set about its mission to prepare young people and adults to deliver their trade in a real work setting with the launch of its outdoor industrial training rig .
This brings with it increased local training in the likes of decommissioning , job competencies , confined spaces and working at heights , as well as rope access , working in partnership with Total Solutions .
“ It ’ s about ensuring people are not only competent in the theoretical knowledge but also demonstrating that they are able to deliver those skills in a practical environment , whether that be working in a tight space or dangling from a height ,” said Jason .
By working directly with employers , the college is committed to leading from the front , not just with traditional engineering skills , but also looking to renewable energies and hydrogen technology as well as onshore and offshore wind .
“ It is part of our role as the local college to educate our communities and help them to understand the emerging technologies and sectors ,” said Jason .
“ Here in the Tees Valley we are working towards a cleaner , greener economy and we believe the moves we are making at the college , working closely with industry experts , employers and the local and combined authorities , will support such agendas .”
Investment in a refurbished engineering
100 | Tees Business