DARLINGTON NEWS
Trainers – Baltic Apprenticeships managing director Tony Hobbs ( right ) with ( left to right ) Joanna Murphy , Ian Barrett , John Parkin and Laura Jackson .
Plans underway for Darlington Business Summit
Training firm aims to create 50 new jobs after £ 1m expansion
An apprenticeships provider that specialises in the tech and digital sectors is aiming to create at least 50 new jobs after relocating to a new £ 1m head office .
Baltic Apprenticeships has completed the purchase of Pioneer House , at Pioneer Court Business Park in Darlington , to create a central hub for its growing team .
The firm had been based across four locations on Aycliffe Business Park but has made the move to its new 17,500-sq ft facility to accommodate ambitious growth plans .
With the support of a £ 435,000 large capital grant from the Tees Valley mayor and Combined Authority , Baltic Apprenticeships completed the purchase of Pioneer House in June and is now fully operational at its impressive new , threestorey hub .
The firm ’ s managing director Tony Hobbs said : “ Due to rapid growth across all our departments , we knew we had to make the investment of a central hub to allow for sustainable expansion .
“ Operating across four buildings was impacting our ability to coach new employees and build a collaborative culture .”
Mr Hobbs says the funding will enable the firm to create even more jobs .
He said : “ This grant is awarded to support the regional development of the Tees Valley Area and the creation of employment opportunities , and we have committed to creating a minimum of 48 new jobs .
Baltic Apprenticeships is a national apprenticeship training provider focused solely on developing tech and digital skills .
The company launched in a Portakabin in Hartlepool in 2006 and has since grown to employ 256 staff .
Final preparations are underway for the first-ever Darlington Business Summit , set to take place in October .
The three-day event – from Wednesday October 5 to Friday October 7 – is a refreshed version of the popular Darlington Business Week and will offer business networking , advice , support and inspiration .
The summit , at the Dolphin Centre , will kick off with the DL Expo , organised by Darlington Business Club . This will celebrate and showcase a wide range of products and services from local businesses .
The event will also help local businesses to share ideas and network with each other . For more details visit investindarlington @ darlington . gov . uk / events .
Milestone as site revealed for economic campus
The permanent site for the new economic campus in Darlington has been revealed .
Nadhim Zahawi unveiled Brunswick as the site of the so-called Treasury North on his first visit to the town as chancellor .
There are now more than 130 Treasury staff at the new cross-government hub . The campus is a key part of the government ’ s drive to diversify policymaking and level up across the country .
The confirmation of Brunswick as the permanent home for the campus is subject to the contract and lease agreement with a developer . This is the final stage of the Government Property Agency ’ s procurement process .
Town submits ambitious £ 20m levelling up bid
An ambitious bid has been submitted to the government for £ 20m to speed up levelling up across Darlington and complement plans to improve the town ’ s most deprived ward .
Levelling Up Darlington is a package of proposals focusing on the Northgate area but set to create opportunities across the town .
The bid includes regeneration proposals for housing , opening up urban green space and improvements to highways and public transport in the area , combined with revitalising the area ’ s heritage assets .
The bid has been made to the government ’ s Levelling Up Fund Round 2 , a £ 4.8bn fund announced in the Spring Statement .
Association set to recruit record number of apprentices
The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association ( TICA ) is on track to train a record number of apprentices this year .
It would normally expect to enrol between 60 and 80 a year but the 2022 figure already stands at around 130 .
Demand from employers for skilled apprentices is being fuelled by a construction boom , combined with a post-Brexit exodus of EU workers .
The sector has traditionally relied on recruiting self-employed contractors , many hailing from eastern Europe , as a cost-effective and flexible way of bridging the skills gap .
Because of the increased demand , TICA launched an additional January intake for its Thermal Insulation Apprenticeships .
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