Tees Skills Launch Event : October 2024
EVENTS
PICTURES : TOM BANKS
Tees Skills Launch Event : October 2024
STOCKTON RIVERSIDE COLLEGE
SPONSORED BY
Launch – Tees Skills launch event delegates heard from ( from left ): Dave Allan ( Tees Business ), Gary Riches ( Hartlepool College of Further Education ), Charlie Nettle ( AV Dawson ), Katrina Morley ( Tees Valley Education ), Helen Shinner ( 1st for EPA ), Grant Glendinning ( Etc .), John Pritchard ( 1st for EPA ) and Martin Walker ( Tees Business ).
SKILLS AGENDA
Now is time for action to end the Tees ‘ brain-drain ’
Business leaders and educators must act now to play their part in ensuring we keep top talent in our region , guests were told at the launch of the inaugural edition of the Tees Skills magazine .
The event , which was held at Stockton Riverside College and sponsored by 1st for EPA , saw a 50 / 50 split of 100 delegates from the education and business sectors hear about the new annual skills and careers publication .
The impassioned call came from Katrina Morley , CEO of Tees Valley Education , one of the four-strong panel of expert speakers at the event ,
Katrina , who also sits on the Tees Valley Business Board , said the key to ending the “ brain drain ” from our region is to show young people the opportunities available and how they can take advantage of them .
“ We ’ re talking about visibility of pathways and accessibility to them ,” she said .
“ Different people have different opportunities to do that . Our responsibility as system leaders and architects for our region , on behalf of Teesside PLC , but then on behalf of UK PLC , is to make sure all our young people , all their parents , all our communities have access to visibility . “ How do we make sure all our young people can see the social change ,
the infrastructure that ’ s there and the opportunities that exist for them ? Because unless you can see it , you can ’ t believe it and you can ’ t become it .
“ When you go back and talk to your parents , your grandparents , your aunts , your uncles , your cousins , your brothers , your sisters , families and communities , you become the walking change of possibility that others can access . If you can do it and you live on their street , then so can they .”
AV Dawson managing director Charlie Nettle agreed that visibility is all important .
“ Growing up in Salisbury , which was an affluent , small city , I couldn ’ t see any jobs whatsoever ,” he said . “ I thought I ’ d have to go about an hour and a half down the road to London .
“ I just saw what was on the high street and that ’ s what I see kids seeing now – should I work in Costa or Maccy D ’ s ?
“ That ’ s the big challenge , to make business and industry visible to young people so they see all the opportunities out there .”
With reports suggesting up to 18,000 high-quality jobs will be required on the Teesworks site at the heart of the Teesside Freeport , Charlie said there are exciting times ahead .
Grant Glendinning , chief executive and group principal , Education Training Collective , said there is a long history of young people believing they need to leave the region to fulfil their ambitions .
But he said we must highlight the amazing opportunities to come , including the recent announcement of £ 22bn worth of carbon capture cluster investment to be shared between Merseyside and Teesside .
“ The re-industrialisation possibilities that are going to come to this region are going to create massive opportunities for young people ,” he said .
“ That ’ s why publications like Tees Skills are so important , so we can spread that message .
“ Our vision as a group is to fuel ambition and drive results within a resurgent Teesside .”
Gary Riches , vice principal of Hartlepool College of Further Education , cited the Tees Valley Combined Authority ’ s latest higher education report figures showing that 45 % of graduates either left Teesside or didn ’ t return if they gained their qualification elsewhere .
“ It ’ s quite a damning report , but I ’ ll caveat that with a real positive ,” he said . “ We have some world-leading organisations across many sectors and we have high-paid , high-quality jobs on the horizon that will complement what ’ s already here .”
Read more about Tees Skills , its distribution and readership on pages 16-17 .
14 | Tees Business