The Sector Skills Council for creative and cultural industries has named Gateshead College as the only college in the North East and one of only a few in the country to lead on new training opportunities.
This will mean that the college, in partnership with international music venue, The Sage Gateshead, will now work as the founder college of the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills (NSA) to ensure it continues to provide the best possible learning opportunities by bringing together education and industry.
The NSA, along with the national network of 20 founder Further Education colleges, is also working in partnership with over 200 theatre and live music employers. Gateshead College is the most northern founder college with Leeds City College being its closest neighbour.
Other founder colleges include City of Westminster College, Leicester College and City College Plymouth.
The NSA aims to create industry endorsed careers advice and guidance, promote apprenticeships and other entry routes to the creative and cultural sectors and promote training and professional development.
Gateshead College and The Sage Gateshead have already worked together to deliver the region's first Creative Apprenticeships.
Richard Thorold, principal at Gateshead College, said, "It is fantastic news for the region that Gateshead College has been chosen as one of the NSA's founder colleges.
"This announcement demonstrates that the college already stands out from any other in the North East as providing the best possible opportunities in the creative sector by working with partner organisations so that training leads to real skills for real jobs."
Gateshead College also plans to launch a technical theatre programme to prepare people for working behind the scenes in areas such as direction, stage management and lighting.
Paul Latham, chairman of the NSA, said, "I am excited to see first-hand with Gateshead College and The Sage Gateshead how employers and education working together not only benefits young people through Apprenticeship schemes but also strengthens the industry ensuring the UK leads by delivering world-class training for the world's greatest stages."
Anthony Sargent, general director of The Sage Gateshead, said, "More than ever as we all work together to re-energise the damaged UK economy, apprenticeships are an effective way of helping young people equip themselves for employment in our industry. For The Sage Gateshead this has been an enormously rewarding partnership."
(Jim Evans)
