Careers & Skills

As part of his plan for jobs, Mayor Houchen wants to invest in home-grown talent and make sure local people, especially young people, are equipped with the skills they need to take advantage of the local jobs that are being created across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

As part of this, Mayor Houchen established the Teesworks Skills Academy to help give local people the best skills possible to take advantage of the new jobs and opportunities that are being created for local workers at the Teesworks site.

It links investors, employment hubs, skills providers, jobseekers and apprentices to create a world-class workforce for the future, equipped with the skills businesses at the site will need to grow and succeed.

Other projects backed by Mayor Houchen include:

• £29.5million annual fund to improve post-19 education to ensure local people are re-skilled to fill local jobs
• £7.5million for new ‘Routes to Work’ scheme to help 2,500 long-term unemployed back to work
• TeesValleyCareers.com launched – a £3million initiative to deliver excellent, consistent careers education across the five Tees Valley boroughs
• £1.3million new Apprenticeship Fund to prioritise quality vocational courses in high-growth sectors
• Over-achieved on target for Tees Valley Enterprise Advisor Network with 47 schools/colleges and 55 Enterprise Advisors signed up
• Annual skills events engaging with over 2,000 young people from 30 different schools and colleges with 75 local and national employers, universities and learning providers