Education Minister visits £15m energy skills centre in Blyth

June 6, 2025

Education minister praises energy skills school

2 hours ago
Northumberland Skills An aerial view of the Energy Central Learning Hub in the Port of Blyth which is a white, green and brown building in front of the North Sea. The top part of the building is jutting out to the side.Northumberland Skills

The Education minister has pledged her support for a teaching centre which is training young people to secure jobs in the renewable energy sector.

Staff at the £15m Energy Central Learning Hub in the Port of Blyth said giving students experience in manufacturing would help them get jobs and apprenticeships.

More than 80 students are currently doing level two diplomas and T-Levels in partnership with Bede Academy.

Education Minister, Bridget Phillipson, said: “It’s a great facility for young people to train up and be the next generation of highly-skilled workers to make Britain a clean energy superpower.”

Lessons at the school also include how to repair and build renewable wind turbines.

Joey, 16, was one of the first students to begin the level two diploma manufacturing course in September 2024.

“I love the course and the lessons are setting us up for life, as we’re in a strong position to begin work,” he said.

Oli and Joey have very short hair and are in red t-shirts with the logo WTS and are standing inside the Energy Skill Learning Hub. There is a purple sign behind them saying WTS - Our solutions but the rest of the writing is out of focus.

Oli, also 16, has already secured a manufacturing apprenticeship which he starts next year.

He said: “I think it’s changed my life coming here, it’s set me up with skills to get a job very quickly.”

Local politicians including, North East Mayor Kim McGuiness (first left) are all dressed in suit jackets of different colours including cream, beige, blue and pink. They are standing close together with their hands crossed in front of the North Sea at the Energy Central Learning Hub in Blyth.

The development is owned by Energy Central Campus in partnership with the Port of Blyth, Northumberland County Council, and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

The county council helped pay for the building along with a £1.5m pledge from the previous government’s Levelling Up fund in 2023.

County council leader, Glen Sanderson, said the school would help the “important green energy businesses to prosper” and give students the chance to secure green jobs.

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