Efforts to prepare South Tyneside workforce for 7,000-job International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) and new South Shields Nexus training centre

Artist's impression of IAMP overhead view looking south

Thousands of jobs are expected to be created at the new International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), with more coming at the new training centre for Metro operator Nexus, in South Shields.

Now South Tyneside Council chiefs are to investigate the best ways to prepare the borough’s workforce to ‘take advantage’ of the schemes – including ensuring older workers who have been made redundant and school pupils are skilled up for the future.

Work starting on the new Nexus Learning Centre last year.

The proposed special commission is expected to take evidence over four sessions and deliver a report by summer 2020.

Paul Baldasera, strategy and democracy officer, said: “This is a natural step to looking in more detail at how the school landscape meets the employment landscape and that everything across the range of school provision and colleges and businesses are aligned together.”

The commission is expected to hear evidence from businesses, education providers and individuals living and working in South Tyneside.

Sessions will cover:

Support in schools and national education priorities Post-16 opportunities, including further education and apprenticeships The needs of businesses and employers

Support for individuals, including older workers or those who have been made redundant, seeking retraining or new skills

It is thought the £41million IAMP, next to the existing Nissan car plant up, could provide more than 7,000 jobs.

Work started on the £8.4million Nexus Learning Centre in July 2018, which will provide a training base for engineers and drivers, and allow trains to be held in South Shields overnight, meaning Metro services south of the Tyne can start earlier.

Coun Gladys Hobson said: “All children aren’t academic and we need the skills we’re missing.

“We’ve got to be cognisant Nexus is bringing its training scheme to South Tyneside and that will be taking people for engineering and driving and we must take advantage of that.

“We’ve also got the IAMP so we need to train people for the needs there and we’ve got to make sure we’ve got the people skilled up to take the jobs on offer.”