15/09/2026
Mayor Kim's £250m skills plan for green, tech and construction jobs has gone live.
The North East Skills Programme is a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain new skills for a better job, made possible thanks to devolution and a record breaking £250m investment by Mayor Kim McGuinness and the Mayoral Strategic Authority.
She said: “I said we’d change the way we deliver adult skills training in the North East, and now we’re doing just that."
Read more here: https://orlo.uk/iHb2y
The first trainees have stepped through the doors for Mayor Kim McGuinness’ new £250m adult skills programme, marking the official launch of one of the region’s most ambitious training offers in decades.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has hailed the start of the Adult Skills Training Programme, designed to boost job opportunities in construction, manufacturing, tech, foundational roles and the fast‑growing green economy.
It comes as scores of skills providers across the region open their doors to adults seeking new opportunities and fresh starts.
Part of Mayor Kim’s New Deal for North East Workers, the £80m‑a‑year investment will create clear pathways into jobs in the region’s most in‑demand industries.
Announced at the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority’s March Cabinet meeting, the programme will transform adult skills training by ensuring the right training is available to the right people, in the right places, at the right time.
The launch follows an unprecedented process of consultation and collaboration between the North East MSA and colleges, training providers, local authorities, employers and VCSE organisations to shape the best way forward.
Mayor Kim said: “I said we’d change the way we deliver adult skills training in the North East, and now we’re doing just that.
“Every bit of our new skills investment is focused on one thing – helping people move from training straight into proper jobs in our growing industries.”
Support will be targeted at adults with low qualifications, people facing health barriers, women entering technical fields, care‑experienced young adults and those seeking to progress in work.
Ready. Set. Skilled.
