One of the region鈥檚 largest colleges is launching an enterprise hub which will offer city centre work space to local companies in return for helping students develop skills needed for future jobs.
The hub at Newcastle College鈥檚 city centre campus will include bookable private and shared workspaces where freelancers, entrepreneuers and businesses can work and network with other firms.
The set-up of the hub aims to enable more collaboration between education and industry with businesses taking up space asked to dedicate time to support and mentor Newcastle College students and help them to gain real work experience and business skills.
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It鈥檚 hoped that businesses will benefit in return from fresh perspectives and new ideas from students, as well as having access to facilities including training rooms and breakout space, and advice on apprenticeships and recruitment.
As well as providing city centre accommodation for businesses that may have left office space during the pandemic, the hub aims to provide specialist digital and enterprise advice. It will also host the college鈥檚 鈥榮ynergy hub鈥 and its curriculum design department, which aims to ensure that courses are developed in partnership with businesses and aligned with skills needs across the region.
Grant Glendinning, executive principal of NCG North, said: 鈥淭he Enterprise Hub is a key part of our wider 10-year strategy which is heavily focused on partnerships and industry links. As much as it is an offer to access a purpose-built workspace, it is very much about building relationships and creating connections between employers and skilled students and graduates.
鈥淲e have thousands of talented students at Newcastle College and we know that tangible links between education and industry helps to contextualise the learning of our students and support them onto their next steps. This is as much a resource for the region鈥檚 businesses who may need the support right now to access a working space, as it is for our students who will get to see real businesses in action and learn directly from them.
鈥淲e know that many North East businesses have suffered during the pandemic and are considering their options in order to cut their overheads. Whilst homeworking has its benefits, we know that office culture is of huge importance to many people.
鈥淲e hope that this supports those who want to return to a physical workplace to do so, whilst also giving businesses and staff more options around flexible and collaborative working.鈥
