On Thursday 5 May, over 60 visitors attended New College Durham to celebrate the work done by the North East institute of Technology (NEIoT); a
nd to take part in the official opening of the NEIoT facilities at New College Durham by the Mayor of Durham City.
Local business people and representatives from the NEIoT’s partner colleges enjoyed talks from a range of speakers including Andy Radcliffe, Chief Executive of Esh Group, Ian Green MBE, Learning Specialist British Volt and Rachel Chambers, Chief Operating Officer, Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre North East.
Visitors then had the opportunity to take part in the interactive partner marketplace, try out the Virtual Reality equipment, watch demonstrations of the robotic equipment and take tours of the building.
Andy Broadbent, Principal and CEO at New College Durham said: “This event is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the North East Institute of Technology and raise the profile of IoTs and technical education. We want to showcase the opportunities Institutes of Technologies provide in terms of training, employment and economic growth, as well as network with those involved in the programme from around the North East region.”
Rachel Chambers, Chief Operating Officer, Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre North East said: “I was honoured to be invited to be part of the celebrations for the North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT), and to be able to speak to so many other influential people in STEM and the North East. I am a huge ambassador for supporting the drive for technical skills in our region, with a focus on supporting more women into engineering as well; it’s critical that we all work together to support the growing demand for skilled employees across industry as investment in the North East continues and as we embrace greener and more sustainable technologies. This event and the NEIoT is a great demonstration of the power of organisations and initiatives collaborating for a common goal.”
The North East institute of Technology (NEIoT) is one of only 12 established Institutes of Technology in the UK, selected through a government competition to offer higher level, employer-led technical courses. It specialises in delivering higher technical education with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects.
The NEIoT provides students with a clear route to employment and drives upskilling of the regional workforce, creating a thriving, competitive jobs market with high quality talent feeding into and strengthening regional businesses.