FEATURE
STRONGER TOGETHER
College boss Gary’ s plan to align learners, employers and opportunity
Looking ahead- Middlesbrough College Group new deputy principal and CEO for skills and partnerships, Gary Potts.
WORDS: DAVE ROBSON PICTURES: CHRIS BOOTH
Collaboration is key for Gary Potts as he embarks on the next stage of his Middlesbrough College Group mission.
He arrived in May 2024, an experienced education leader tasked with forging strong industry partnerships and ensuring the group’ s offer aligned with real-world needs.
After a successful two years, he’ s been promoted to a new role- deputy principal and CEO for skills and partnerships.
And as he talks to Tees Business about the job in hand, he reveals an interesting ambition.
He said:“ I want to be able to stand on the roof of the college, do‘ a 360’, look at all the anchor and flagship institutions that surround us, and be able to say,‘ We work together with so many of these institutions to create opportunities, develop workforces and make a difference’.”
Formerly vice principal for business innovation and community partnerships, Gary takes up his new position at a key time, with the college currently compiling its next four-year strategic plan.
And for Gary, one of the big challenges is ensuring Middlesbrough College Group is always there for the rising number of unemployed and NEETs( not in education, employment or training).
He said:“ As part of my role, which is very externally focused, we will make a conscious effort to engage with all the right partners in Middlesbrough and Tees Valley to ensure none of our young people become lost in the system.
“ If anybody needs to access some provision, if they’ re not in education, employment or training, we’ ll try to find something to support them.”
Key strategic partnerships, says Gary, include working closely with the Tees Valley Combined Authority on bespoke, employer-led programmes.
Having begun his own career as an apprentice toolmaker, he’ ll oversee a renewed focus on apprenticeships and work experience placements for full-time students.
And as an example of apprenticeships in action, the college is committed to having apprentices make up 3 % of its 1,100-strong workforce.
He said:“ Young people study here and gain some amazing knowledge, skills and behaviours, but they’ ve never had chance to apply them in the real world.
“ The supply of young people is high, but the access to opportunities isn’ t. So, the drum that I beat everywhere is‘ just give young people a chance’.
“ We need to open the doors to young, fresh talent who can come in, offer a
Well-equipped – Gary Potts in the‘ mind-blowing’ TTE building. different view on the world and help your businesses move forward.”
He added:“ One of the key things I will continue to do in this role is champion the young people and unemployed adults who find themselves in a situation where they just need somebody to take a chance on them.
“ We’ ll do our very best to prepare them in college, but we can’ t provide them with on-the-job experience to get them to the experience level employers want. So, we have to work together with employers as neither of us can solve this in isolation.”
Gary is keen to develop even closer links with employers- for example, T-level health learners will now get work experience at James Cook University Hospital, while a memorandum of understanding has just been signed with Middlesbrough-based housing association organisation, Thirteen Group.
He said:“ With Thirteen, we’ ve drawn up an action plan which is about making sure young people see them as an employer of choice, as well as setting ourselves other targets to benefit our communities- and we intend to have more of those.”
And as he looks around the“ mindblowing” facilities in the TTE building, he’ s confident Middlesbrough College Group is well-placed to continue being that vital bridge between students and employers.
He said:“ With the government rolling out incentives for SMEs, it’ s a great time for any business to talk to us about how we can support them to develop their workforce.
“ Training should be seen as an investment, not a cost- and there’ s no better way to future-proof your business than ensuring your workforce is highly skilled, efficient and effective.
“ I really want to focus on getting us materially linked with the employers, institutions and flagship organisations around us because if we work together, we can be way more impactful for our communities.”
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