Middlesbrough College has announced a major new partnership with Thirteen Housing Group, committed to helping people across Teesside into training and employment.
The partnership was formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a shared commitment to connecting Teesside residents with skills, training and employment opportunities.
The collaboration will see the two organisations work together to develop pathways into work – from apprenticeships and adult learning programmes to industry placements for T Level students and community-based skills training.
By combining Thirteen’s role as one of the region’s largest employers and housing providers with Middlesbrough College’s expertise in technical education, the partnership will help bridge skills gaps, support local recruitment and improve access to learning and career opportunities for residents.
Key areas of activity will include:
- Offering industry placements and T Level opportunities for Middlesbrough College students.
- Supporting apprenticeship development and upskilling programmes for Thirteen employees and customers.
- Delivering skills bootcamps and bespoke training to help unemployed adults and NEETs (young people not in education, employment or training) move into sustainable jobs.
- Creating local employment opportunities linked to regeneration projects, ensuring investment benefits local communities.
Gary Potts, Vice Principal: Business, Innovation and Community Partnerships at Middlesbrough College, said: “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to creating opportunities that make a real difference in people’s lives. By working closely with Thirteen, a valued neighbour and key anchor institution in Middlesbrough, we can connect education with employment, ensuring our students gain valuable industry experience while supporting local people to develop the skills employers need. It also enables Thirteen to build the skilled workforce they will need for the future.
“Together, we’re helping to build a stronger, more inclusive Tees Valley economy.”
Joanne Lawther, Thirteen’s Director of People & Culture at Thirteen, added: “Following recent government funding commitments, we’re expecting to really ramp up the delivery of much-needed quality new homes over the next decade. That’s going to open up all kinds of opportunities – not just with Thirteen, but with our contractors and supply chains too.
“We want to make sure local people are well-placed to take full advantage of those opportunities and this partnership will strengthen how we work with Middlesbrough College to achieve that. We helped 865 customers into jobs and training last year and we’re ambitious to do more.”
The collaboration is part of a wider ambition to ensure that education, employment and housing work hand in hand to create lasting social and economic value for Teesside.
The partnership will build on shared ambitions to drive social mobility, grow a skilled local workforce and ensure that everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has the chance to succeed.
