The Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) have launched three training programmes designed to close the skills gap in the fast-growing carbon industries situated on the UK’s east coast.

The programmes will be delivered in partnership with local educational institutions, the Tees Valley Combined Authority, and construction partners, and will prepare 175 pre-selected students for employment in specialist areas including process industry manufacturing, civil works, pipefitting and mechanical construction, and clean energy.

Through the NZT Power and NEP Operational Scholarship Programme, five local students will undertake a Process Industry Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship in partnership with Cogent Skills, a specialist in science and technology training. The students have all completed a two-year foundation course and will now progress through a multi-year programme combining classroom learning and practical experience before moving into operational roles.

Through the Balfour Beatty – NZT Power & NEP Power Project Apprentice Scheme, 29 apprentices and two graduates have been chosen by Balfour Beatty to start specialist college courses in civil works, pipefitting and mechanical, construction, and marketing communications. At peak construction, Balfour Beatty will employ around 1,500 people, with at least five per cent of the workforce made up of ‘earn and learn’ roles.

Funded by NZT Power and NEP – with support from Technip Energies and Balfour Beatty – the £1 million Tees Valley Net Zero Industry Scholarship offers people aged 16 and over the chance to gain skills for careers in the clean energy sector. Following a competitive selection process, 141 students will begin up to two years of training in welding, instrumentation, pipefitting, electrical engineering, and civil operations.

Ian Hunter, Managing Director of Net Zero Teesside Power, said: “This is about creating real opportunity for young people in Teesside. By opening doors to further education and technical training, we’re helping build a future-ready and skilled workforce that will power the UK’s net zero transition – and ensuring that local people are at the heart of it.”

The project partners have also invested in extensive community skills outreach. This includes 100 hours of educational engagement with more than 1,000 local students.

Rich Denny, Managing Director at Northern Endurance Partnership, said, “These apprenticeship schemes represent the future of Teesside. At NEP, we’re not only building world-leading low-carbon infrastructure, but we’re also investing in the people who will operate and sustain it. These apprentices are an integral part of that vision.”