Building Sunderland's future skills

Businesses and residents are being urged to look at new fully funded training opportunities to boost workforce skills.

The £2.56m partnership project - Sunderland Skills and Inclusion Programme (SSIP) - led by the University of Sunderland will run until March 2025.

Courses and training range from digital and office-based skills to trading, manufacturing or industrial courses for mechanics, electrical engineering, hydraulics, milling and turning, and welding. They are being delivered by 12 providers with a range of different specialist skills including Sunderland College, TDR Training and Sunderland Software City.

The SSIP is funded from the city's allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) which is being managed by the City Council to deliver funds from the UK Government into a range of projects.

There are more than 100 SSIP courses available, based on the different needs of businesses and their employees from day-long starter courses to advanced accredited diplomas and all are free.

More information on the training available is at Home - Sunderland Skills & Inclusion Programme (skillsandinclusion.co.uk) or you can register your interest at skills@sunderland.ac.uk

Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Equalities, Councillor Alison Smith said: "Today's workplace and the pace of change means that employers and employees have to continually update their skills. The partnership between the University of Sunderland and the training providers involved in this project will help so many people to update skills or learn new ones.

"There are, quite literally, training opportunities for everybody here from digital and administrative skills to manufacturing and industrial courses for trades and skill sets in wiring, machining, or hydraulics and pneumatics."

Sunderland has £14m of UKSPF to invest in projects that are aligned to and build on plans for a more dynamic, healthy, vibrant and digitally connected Sunderland. UKSPF funds have also gone into other training, business support and community projects. See: UKSPF in Sunderland.

Tim Pain, Director of Research and Innovation at the University of Sunderland, said: "This funding is fantastic news for the people and business of Sunderland. We are proud to lead a top quality consortium of providers to skill up the workforce of Sunderland, enhancing still further the university's impact on the city."