Serving the Teesside Business Community | 83
College
collaborators
Team - Redcar & Cleveland College’s
group head of commercial development
Graeme Wood (front) with Grangetown
Training and Employment Hub’s Gill
Sutherland, Altrad Services’ head of
workforce development Matthew Oates
and the college’s pre-employment tutor
Terry Watson.
A JOINT APPROACH LEADS
TO ALL ROUND SUCCESS
P
laying even a small part in helping to
bring some of the first jobs back to
the former SSI site has got to feel
good, right? That is certainly the plan behind
the new Routeway into Decommissioning
programme being delivered by Redcar &
Cleveland College.
The three-week intensive course is the
result of a partnership between the college,
the Department of Work and Pensions,
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and
Altrad Services, with a shared ambition to
upskill a local workforce.
Job Centre Plus and the Employment
and Training Hubs are playing a key role
too, along with the support of Tees Valley
Combined Authority.
Stockton Riverside College Group’s
director of business engagement Gary Potts
says it is a great example of how a joined-
up approach is the key to achieving results
all round.
He said: “By working together to identify
the specific skills required locally and by
employers, the impact and benefit of the
training is much greater.”
That is certainly part of the ethos at the
college group, where he said: “We are
not just about transactional relationships,
we focus on developing transformational
partnerships.”
The new decommissioning programme
with Altrad is just one of a number of
bespoke sector-based work academies
developed with employers by the
college group, to equip candidates with
occupational knowledge and skills to meet
the entry requirements of current available
job vacancies in the business.
“It is a hugely beneficial programme for
all involved,” said Gary. “For the business, it
simplifies the recruitment process and they
get the opportunity to shape and develop
potential candidates.”
As for those taking part, they are
developing new skills and achieving
vocational qualifications, plus the courses
come with a guaranteed job interview.
It’s just one of the ways the college
group is working with employers and local
agencies to ensure it is meeting business
needs.
Gary said: “We feel strongly about
serving our local employers and residents
effectively. We want to continue to be a
real asset to our local communities and the
wider Tees Valley.”
Offering an extensive range of
commercial courses, bespoke programmes
and apprenticeships, the group is well
positioned to cater directly to the needs
of employers. But Gary said: “Businesses
often don’t realise the training services that
are available right here on their doorstep.
“We have a wide range of commercial
programmes, from health and safety,
leadership and management through to
more specialist engineering courses.
“Also, we offer a wide range of
apprenticeships. We can work with
employers to understand exactly what they
need and what will suit the business, which
Impact -
Stockton
Riverside
College Group’s
director of business
engagement, Gary Potts.
can mean taking into account aspects such
as availability and shift patterns.”
He added: “It starts for us with a
conversation with the employer, to talk
through what their needs are, both now
and in the future, to then identify training
that would have a positive impact in their
business and then developing solutions
together.”
The Tees Valley Logistics Academy
is a prime example of this approach,
a development created with key local
employers to raise awareness of logistics
and help meet training needs within the
sector.
Gary said: “For us, it is not just about the
numbers, we strive to make an impact in
our local communities. We recognise that
it is only through engaging with the people,
the local and combined authorities and
businesses that we will effectively meet
everybody’s training needs.
“We fully believe that our partnership
approach results in the maximum impact
and benefit for everyone involved.”
Stockton Riverside College Group is the result of its own transformational partnership, encompassing Stockton Riverside College, Redcar
& Cleveland College, Bede Sixth Form, NETA Training and The Skills Academy. To find out more about the full range of commercial training
options available, contact the Business Development Team by emailing [email protected] or call 01642 865581.