£8.5m Newcastle College Energy Academy expansion approved

The project will see the development of a purpose-built education centre at Newcastle College’s Energy Academy in Wallsend, where plans for an £8.5 million engineering facility have now been approved by North Tyneside Council.

Part of a broader ambition to develop an enhanced Energy Campus on Hadrian Road, the expansion will allow Newcastle College to increase training capacity dramatically—with student numbers expected to triple over the next five years.

Artist’s impression of new Newcastle College Energy Academy building (Image: Supplied)

Jon Ridley, principal of Newcastle College, said: “This is a major step forward in our plans to expand the Energy Academy and build on the strong foundations we’ve established in supporting the North East’s growing energy sector.

“The approval of these plans allows us to scale up our impact, strengthen our collaboration with industry, and support even more people into high-quality careers in engineering and renewable energy.

“This investment will play a key role in ensuring the North East has the skilled workforce needed to meet the demands of a fast-growing sector, and we are leading that work from our Wallsend site.”

Growth in capacity comes at a pivotal time for the region, with the offshore renewable energy sector projected to create approximately 4,500 manufacturing and engineering jobs along the River Tyne over the next decade.

The workforce in this area is expected to rise to more than 24,000.

The new facility will provide specialist training tailored to the needs of the offshore wind and renewable energy industries.

Newcastle College will become the only training provider in the country to offer training in green skills from entry through to post-graduate level, and will begin work on the new development in the coming weeks.

The project is being delivered in partnership with Shepherd Offshore, the North East Combined Authority, North Tyneside Council, Elliott Associates, Ryder Architecture, and Fairhurst.

The site will feature industry-standard workshops and learning spaces co-designed with employers to ensure training remains relevant and job-focused.

Backed by £8.48 million in funding from the North East Combined Authority, the development supports wider regional plans to accelerate the growth of green jobs and clean energy industries.

Newcastle College works closely with businesses to address skills shortages and improve employment pathways, and the expansion is expected to reinforce its contribution to the economic growth of the North East.