North East England has an established pipeline of new talent coming out of our universities and colleges.
Education partners, key facilities and industry are working together to futureproof that pipeline and close the skills gap. For instance, the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD) is working with companies to build their own teams of data scientists and analysts using programmes such as the Centre for Doctoral Training to upskill workers and ensure students get the experience needed to be industry-ready.
Over 32,500 people are employed in our ICT sector and global businesses choose us as the place to grow their workforces.
Recently, BGL Group chose Sunderland as the city to locate its digital technology hub while the BBC will create a new Tech Hub in Newcastle to develop the technology that underpins the iPlayer and BBC Sounds services.
But it is our education network that really makes North East England stand out to companies looking to relocate.
We have 67,000 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students in our five universities and the highest proportion of computer science students in England.
Our universities drive innovation and research. They collaborate directly with industry to develop knowledge and provide platforms for spin-out companies. New content and courses for the digital sector are created with the private sector to ensure students have the skills they need to join the digital workforce. In fact, the Institute of Coding at Newcastle University launched a Master’s degree apprenticeship to help businesses unlock much-needed digital skills.
The region’s higher education colleges are also working hard to develop the next generation of digital workers. The North East Futures University Technical College specialises in IT, computing and healthcare sciences for 14-19-year-olds and offers innovative learning experiences with funding from Accenture, DXC and Ubisoft Reflections.