Spades in the ground at NETA
Designed by GSS Architecture and now being built by Britcon, work on the £14.7m specialist engineering training centre in Thornaby is underway.
The centre was highlighted as a priority for the £23.9m Town Deal funding received by Thornaby, of which £4,5m has been invested into the centre.
This was delivered in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Council, with the rest of the funding secured from the Department for Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The new 120,000 sq ft site will include the erection of a two-storey building linking to Stockton Riverside College, the creation of a motor workshop yard, and associated infrastructure.
The 54,000 sq ft engineering facility will be located on part of the college’s car park.
NETA will continue to deliver training for school leavers, apprentices, and workers looking to upskill, and will focus on engineering and construction skills to meet industrial demands, in line with the government’s National Industrial Strategy.
Cutting ground at the new site off Princeton Avenue, NETA director Sean Johnston, said: “This is the start of an incredible opportunity that will bring together NETA’s expertise and history of delivering engineering and construction training in the Tees Valley, with brand-new facilities.
“The industrial landscape is changing and at NETA we intend to be a part of the solution that enables both the existing and upcoming workforce in the Tees Valley to benefit from the opportunities this brings.”
Mark White, chair of Thornaby Town Deal Board, said: “The new, state-of-the-art facility will help realise the Town Deal Board’s aspirations to bring long-term economic growth to the town.
“Bringing a campus of such scale and significance to its new home in Thornaby-on-Tees is testament to the scale of ambition for the Town Deal interventions and the hard work of the Town Deal Board.
“I am looking forward to seeing the work progress and seeing the fantastic spaces that will be on offer for up-and-coming engineers.”
