Energy Central Campus Brings Industry Leaders and Learners Together at Career Sprint Event

Energy Central Campus (ECC) was delighted to host its first ‘Career Sprint’ Event on Wednesday 12th February, designed to connect top industry employers with eager learners for a morning of networking and career insights. Over 80 learners from both Bede Academy and Northumberland Skills, who are currently studying courses at the Energy Central Learning Hub, had the unique opportunity to engage directly with companies who are shaping the future of the clean energy sector.

Employers present included Royal IHC, TEXO, JDR Cables, NRL Group and RWE Sofia who are all part of ECC’s Employer Membership Programme, as well as Port of Blyth, who are a proud partner of ECC, who attended alongside its training division, Port Training Services. This exclusive event gave them the unique opportunity to meet the next generation of clean energy professionals, offering advice, raising awareness of their companies and potential careers opportunities available to students, once they complete their courses later this year/next year.

For learners, the event provided invaluable face time with industry leaders, offering them a glimpse into real-world career paths and expectations. Many walked away with fresh insights, useful connections, and even potential job prospects.

This event is a testament to the power of industry-education collaboration, making it easier for learners to transition from training to employment, and we cannot wait to host even bigger and better careers events in the future.

Paul Valentine, Head of Operations at Energy Central Campus, said: “It was great to see our employer member’s enthusiasm to inspire, guide, and invest time in their future workforce whilst seeing our learners grasp the opportunity to explore, question and take the first steps towards a clean energy career.“

Ryan Pattison, Resourcing Manager at JDR Cables, said: “JDR had a brilliant morning at the Career Sprint Event at the Energy Central Learning Hub in Blyth. The team had some brilliant conversations with students seeking their next career steps and we hope to inspire future generations of talent and spread the word of our brand new, state-of-the-art facility that is going to be heavily recruiting in the local area. The team at JDR hope to see some of these students again once our Apprenticeships for 2025 and beyond go live.”

Paul Cottiss, Lecturer in Advanced Manufacturing and Renewable Engineering at Northumberland Skills’ campus at the Energy Central Learning Hub, commented: "The Career Sprint was a fantastic opportunity for our learners to engage with employers, gain confidence and experience in presenting themselves in an interview-like setting. 

 It was great to see our learners take part yesterday, developing key skills that will support their future careers. The fast-paced, dynamic environment allowed them to discover different employers and the varied job opportunities as they begin to explore their next steps into the industry.” 

Jennifer Morgan, Senior Recruitment Consultant at NRL, added: “Career Sprint was our first student engagement event working with Energy Central Campus and it more than exceeded our expectations. It was great to meet with the students in rotating groups, which allowed us to strike up some interesting conversations. We left feeling inspired and looking forward to future events."

Alan Conway, Brand Executive at TEXO, said: “TEXO were extremely pleased to be supporting the Career Sprint event at the Energy Central Learning Hub.

The building is outstanding and designed to support not only the training and educational sector but the community itself with the Visitor Centre opening soon. We believe working with local schools and academies gives us the opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers, who could be designers or the men and women who will build this wonderful equipment.

TEXO is extremely proud to support the next generation of engineers. We hope to interview the students we meet for apprenticeship or graduate roles in the future."

Dave Ewart, Senior Hydraulic & Electrical Construction Engineer at Royal IHC, commented: “Thank you to the ECC Team for hosting a great event and inviting us to participate along with other local businesses, which not only allowed us to showcase who we are and what we do, but also gave us a fantastic opportunity to meet a great group of young learners that are starting their journey into the world of engineering. Who knows, we might have been talking to the next Royal IHC employees...“

If you’re an employer looking to support the development of the clean energy workforce of the future, join our Employer Membership Programme today: https://www.energycentralcampus.co.uk/get-involved