One of the region’s 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’s city centre campus will include bookable private and shared workspaces where freelancers, entrepreneurs 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.
It’s 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’s ‘synergy hub’ 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: “The 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.
