Gateshead College
Coordinates: 54°58′0.08″N 1°35′52.94″W / 54.9666889°N 1.5980389°W
| Gateshead College | |
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| Established | November 15, 1955 |
| Type | Education |
| Location | Gateshead, England |
| Website | http://www.gateshead.ac.uk |
Gateshead College is a further education college in the town of Gateshead, England. Established on November 15, 1955 at Durham Road in Low Fell, Gateshead, the original campus was closed as part of a planned move in January 2008. The college moved into a £39 million new main site located at the Baltic Quayside in Gateshead. Also opened during the move was an Academy for Sport based at Gateshead International Stadium and a Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing and Logistics. A Skills Academy for Construction opened in summer 2008.
More than £75million of investment has seen the development of six state-of-the-art campuses, which enable the delivery of academic and vocational courses. Based in the North East of England, Gateshead College offers further education to 16-18 year olds, higher education, apprenticeships, part-time adult learning and training for employers.
The Baltic Campus, based on the Gateshead quayside, has a range of facilities including:
- Baltic Salon and Spa
- Gym and aerobics studio
- 200 seat performance theatre
- Learning Resource Centre
- Sound proofed music rehearsal and recording studios
- Refectory, bistro, training kitchens and restaurant
- Art and design studios
- ICT Suite
- Shop
- Japanese garden
Gateshead College develops training and facilities to support the North East’s bid to become a hub for sustainability. The College has also established a reputation for working in partnership with many organisations including the Chamber of Commerce, Nissan, sports teams including Gateshead Thunder and the Newcastle Vipers, and The Sage Gateshead and was chosen founder college for the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills.
The College administers the Government’s Plugged in Places project, through its Charge Your Car project. Gateshead College also established Zero Carbon Futures in 2011, to deliver a range of local and national programmes designed to advance the region as a European leader in the production of low carbon vehicles.
Key facts
- Category A financial status
- £75 million campus across six sites
- Officially named top college for Apprenticeships in the region
- Most successful Train to Gain provider
- Awarded RFU Beacon College Status Awards
- FA Charter Standard College
- Founder College for the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills and partners of Dance City, The Sage Gateshead and Live Theatre
- North East lead provider for National Skills Academy: Manufacturing
- Partnering with the Academy of Music and Sound, launched the North East academy, one of only seven specialist music academies in the UK.
- Centre of Excellence in Teacher Training in partnership with Sunderland University
- Achieved Training Quality Standard with excellence in Automotive, Skills and Engineering.
- Launched UK’s first Electric Vehicle Apprenticeship in partnership with Smiths Electric Vehicles.
- Winner of two National Training Awards for Larger Employers and Partnerships Collaboration
- Preferred training provider for Nissan UK Ltd.
- The LowCVP Low Carbon Champions Awards 2011 - Low Carbon Road Transport Initiative of the Year
- Won 3 Travel Plan Awards – 2 bronze and a silver
- LSIS Leading the Learner Voice Awards 2011 for Health and wellbeing
- Awarded NHS Better Health at Work Gold Award
- Awarded a 5* Health & Safety standard from the British Safety Council
- Overall winner at the Culture for Success Awards 2009
- CIPD Award for HR&D Excellence through innovation or technology 2010
- CIPD Award for HR& D Excellence through Rewards and Benefits 2011
- CIPD Awards for HR & D Business of the Year 2011
- One of the Sunday times Best places to work in the public and third sector list.
- Awarded Investors in People- Bronze Award
- AoC Beacon Award for excellence in staff development
- Launched the Gateshead College Foundation charity to help support students
- Awarded JISC RSC e-Responsibility Award 2012
Campus locations
- Baltic Campus, Gateshead Quays
- Skills Academy for Construction, Team Valley
- Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing & Logistics, Team Valley
- Academy for Sport, Gateshead International Stadium
- AutoSkills Centre, Team Valley
- Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing & Innovation, by the Nissan UK plant, Washington, Sunderland
Notable alumni
Chris Basham - footballer with Bolton Wanderers Jill Scott - footballer with Everton LFC and England women's national football team
Specialisms
- Creative Industries
- Sport
- Low Carbon and Renewable training
Performance track
Gateshead College and One North East announced (March 2011) the creation of a unique new open-access test track facility – the only one of its kind in Europe. On January the 17th 2012 Transport Minister Norman Baker MP officially opened the Zero Carbon Futures Performance Track and Low Emission Vehicle Development Centre in Washington, Tyne & Wear. The Centre is designed to facilitate the development of the transport of the future providing the ideal location for anyone – academics, automotive manufacturers and system developers - to test and trial new transport technologies.
The test track and workshop building at Nissan Sunderland Plant has been signed over to Gateshead College on a 20-year lease allowing these facilities to be hired by companies, academic institutes and researchers.
The Test Track and vehicle development centre are available for hire to any interested bodies, ranging from universities to major OEMs and vehicle systems developers.
Designed specifically for low carbon vehicles, the Performance Track offers a comprehensive range of charging and refuelling systems, including hydrolisers, a photovoltaic canopy, EV charging points (both standard and fast charge) and biofuel tanks.
The 50sq m workshops include five bays available on flexible terms from day hire to a year lease. The infrastructure includes high-speed internet, a fast-charge bay for EVs, three-phase electricity supply, exhaust extraction systems and a range of vehicle lifts.
The 2.8 km long Performance Track incorporates the following facilities designed for on and off-road vehicle testing:
- 2x 1 km straights suitable for acceleration and lane change testing
- Handling pad with various diameter markings
- Brake test and manoeuvring area
- Test Hill
- Heliport
Road Surfaces:
- Rumble strips
- American Hop Road
- Concrete strip with metal strips
- Cobbled surface
- Road noise surface
- Road road durability
- Gravel road
- Wave road
- Rough splash road
- Pot hole tests
There is also a range of electric vehicle charging technologies including a quick charger, a solar powered charging canopy and a standard charging post – all of which are among the 1,000 charge points being installed across the region.
The centre is on the same site as the Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation and will be run by Gateshead College.
Zero Carbon Futures
Gateshead College established Zero Carbon Futures in 2011, to deliver a range of local and national programmes designed to advance the region as a European leader in the production of low carbon vehicles. The company opened for business on December 1 and is based in the College’s new £10m Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation (SASMI), in Washington, adjacent to the Performance Track.
The remit of Zero Carbon Futures includes:
- Development and implementation of Gateshead College’s international low carbon vehicle strategy
- Delivery of regional and national programmes to create jobs and apprenticeships
- Consultancy on low carbon vehicle issues
- Advisory and consultancy body for sustainable manufacturing techniques
UK Electric Vehicle Apprenticeships
Gateshead College and Smith Electric Vehicles joined together to deliver the UK’s first apprenticeship in electric vehicles.
The three-year course will see young people gain workplace skills at Smith Electric Vehicles, and complete training at Gateshead College specialist Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing and Logistics.
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