A new state-of-the-art training centre aimed at helping young tradespeople become qualified electricians has opened on Teesside.
JTL, an independent training provider and registered charity was last week [1 July] joined by Cllr Lisa Evans, leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority’s cabinet portfolio holder for employment, skills and education and business leaders from across the electrical industry for the opening of its new 4,000sq ft training centre at Teesside Estate, Thornaby.
Representing a six-figure investment, it is hoped the specialist training centre – which will be JTL’s 18th in the UK – will provide training to hundreds of employed-status young people every year, as it seeks to play a key role in helping the UK address the chronic shortage of skilled tradespeople.
According to recent research by Skills England, the demand for skilled electricians in the UK is set to grow by around 32,000 additional roles by 2035 across the construction and clean energy sectors.
Robert Moore, Head of Infrastructure and Projects at JTL, said: “It fills us with great pride to have been joined by representatives from the Tees Valley Combined Authority and leaders from across the industry for the official opening of our new Teesside Training Centre.
“JTL has been delivering apprenticeship training for over 35 years, but we made a conscious decision to set up our own network of training centres across the UK to ensure greater quality control and deliver the best possible training to our apprentices.
“Since then, we have partnered with some of the country’s leading electrical contractors and construction companies and we now have 17 JTL training centres across the UK, from as far north as Carlisle and south as Eastbourne, west as Wrexham and east as Hull.
“So far, the strategy has really paid off. The training centres have delivered training to thousands of apprentices in the last 12 months alone and we have every confidence that the Teesside training centre will further build on this success.”
Councillor Lisa Evans, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “It was a pleasure to officially open JTL’s new Teesside Training Centre and to see first-hand the opportunities it will create for apprentices, employers and the wider region.
“High-quality technical training is vital to ensuring people can access rewarding careers while supporting local businesses with the skilled workforce they need. Facilities like this have an important role to play in helping the Tees Valley deliver its ambitions for economic growth, infrastructure and the transition to cleaner energy.”
JTL’s Teesside Training Centre is situated in a new 4,000sq ft unit on Thornaby’s Teesside Estate. The organisation has signed a ten-year lease for the property, which was speculatively built by UK Land Estates, to address the shortage of available, high-quality industrial workspace in the region.
David Gibbs, Property Director at UK Land Estates, said: “We are delighted that JTL has chosen Teesside Estate to house its new Teesside Training Centre.
“As a business which works closely with construction businesses and contractors across the North East, we know all too well how much the shortage of skilled tradespeople has impacted the industry, which is why centres like this are so important.
“They not only give young people the skills and experience required to progress in their careers but also ensure our businesses have the skilled talent coming through to futureproof their workforce. It will be a fantastic asset for the Tees Valley.”