Mayor launches £100 per week payments for net zero students

One principal said the scheme has create 'quite the buzz'

One principal said the scheme has create 'quite the buzz'

Weekly payments of £100 have been made available to over 100 students in the north east to incentivise in net zero skills courses.

A £1 million ‘net zero industry scholarship’ has been launched by Tees Valley Combined Authority. It will offer term-time weekly payments of £100 to up to 141 students who train in industrial skills at local colleges and training providers from September.

Funding will be available to students aged 16 or above who study priority skills, including welding, instrumentation, pipefitting, electrical engineering and civil operations.

Adult learners looking to change careers or upskill are also encouraged to apply.

The scholarship, which is initially funded for one year, is financed by businesses Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) and Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) and is being promoted and coordinated by Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), which has devolved control of adult skills policy locally.

Last year, Basildon Council announced an “education essentials grant” funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund that will pay £360 to up to 360 students to help them stay in further education.

Mark Lewis, NZT Power and NEP construction manager, said: “Construction of Net Zero Teesside Power and the Northern Endurance Partnership will require thousands of skilled workers.

“Along with our construction partner Balfour Beatty, we have worked closely with local colleges across the Tees Valley to design a net zero industry scholarship which will equip people from the region with the skills needed to secure the roles that are urgently required to drive the energy transition”.

The businesses are owned by a consortium of global gas corporations, including Equinor, BP and Shell, and are focused on exploiting new carbon dioxide “capture” technology.

Net Zero Teesside Power claims to be the “world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power station” that will capture carbon emissions and pump them into former oil and gasfields beneath the bed of the North Sea.

Northern Endurance Partnership will build and run the carbon capture, transport and storage technology.

Local training providers involved in the scheme include Education Training Collective, Redcar and Cleveland College, NETA Training Group, Middlesbrough College, Hartlepool College of Further Education and Darlington College.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen

Each has a limited number of scholarships available per subject. For example, there are 36 available at Middlesbrough College; 24 for instrument tech and 12 for electrical. 

Zoe Lewis, principal and CEO of Middlesbrough College, told the BBC the scholarships have “created quite a buzz” towards “rapidly expanding number of opportunities in the renewable and low-carbon energy sector right on their doorstep”.

Students have to apply for scholarships directly with their training provider.

Mayor of TVCA Ben Houchen said: “With billions of pounds of investment coming into our clean energy industry, we need a workforce that is ready to meet demand. 

“The Tees Valley industry scholarship will give people the training and support they need to secure well-paid, high-quality jobs right here on their doorstep.”

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Safe to speak, ready to act: SaferSpace targets harassment and misconduct in education 

In an era where safeguarding and compliance are firmly in the spotlight, education providers face a growing responsibility: to...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Screening for the cognitive needs of apprentices is essential – does it matter if the process is engaging?

Engagement should be the first priority in cognitive assessment. An engaging assessment is an inclusive assessment — when cognitive...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Skills Bootcamps Are Changing – What FE Colleges Must Know 

Skills Bootcamps are evolving as funding moves to local control and digital skills trends shift. Code Institute, an Ofsted...

Code Institute
Sponsored post

Building Strong Leadership for Effective T Level Implementation

Are you struggling with T Level curriculum and implementation, or building strong employer relationships? Do you want to develop...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Devolution, Politics

Devolving 16-19 funding would be a nightmayor, minister warned

Doing so would lead to more 'bureaucracy' and 'inequalities', expert says

Billy Camden
Devolution, Politics

‘Potential’ for more skills devolution amid mayoral ‘tension’, says minister

Comes weeks after mayor Andy Burnham labelled the DfE as his 'biggest frustration'

Billy Camden
Devolution

DfE sorry for councils’ adult skills powers confusion  

Training will be commissioned by local councils instead of ITPs on the national contract

Josh Mellor
Adult education, Devolution

‘Back door devolution’ as 11 councils get extra procurement powers

But not all councils are aware of the DfE's plans

Josh Mellor

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *