A partnership between housing, industry and education leaders is helping tackle the construction skills shortage across the Tees Valley, as Thirteen Housing Group, RE:GEN North East and RE:GEN Academy deliver a Skills Bootcamp funded through the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA).
Part of TVCA’s wider Skills Bootcamps programme, the initiative is designed to strengthen regional skills pipelines, support employers and create sustainable employment opportunities across the Tees Valley.
“We’re all focused on making sure people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool can access the opportunities being created,” said Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.
“This is why our Skills Bootcamps are connecting local people with the training and employers they need to move straight into work, while helping businesses find the skilled workforce they’re crying out for.
“It’s good to see this bootcamp delivering results – jobs. By backing partnerships like this, and listening carefully to what employers really need, we’re tackling a construction skills shortage in a practical way and making sure local people are first in line for jobs being created.”
At the heart of the collaboration is Thirteen Housing Group, whose commitment ensures regeneration investment benefits the communities it serves. The current cohort of learners are residents from Thirteen communities, gaining practical construction skills and working towards employment in the sector.
Working closely with Thirteen as its leading regeneration partner is RE:GEN North East, who play a key role in delivering housing improvements across the region. Through this partnership, regeneration is not only improving homes but creating pathways into employment for local residents.
Julie Hollins, Thirteen’s social value lead, said: “Social value is all about creating connections. We connect contractors like RE:GEN with opportunities to do great things in our communities. And in this case, the programme RE:GEN is delivering is connecting people in our communities with opportunities in the construction sector.
“It’s social value at its best – a win on every level and a great example of how we work with our contractors to deliver local benefits that go far beyond simply delivering the contract. To see this approach being rolled out much wider shows what a success it has been and we look forward to seeing more local people reap the benefits.”
RE:GEN Academy operates alongside RE:GEN North East as a connected but distinct organisation, focused on turning social value commitments into lasting outcomes through skills, training and employment.
RE:GEN Academy was founded on a simple principle: skills provision only works when it is employer-led. Acting on this early, RE:GEN have so far invested over £500,000 to establish the Academy, ensuring training is shaped by real jobs, real demand and real opportunity.
Together, they’re delivering considerable results. Across RE:GEN Academy programmes, 74% of learners progress into employment, demonstrating the impact of connecting training to live industry need.
Cheryl Campbell, Academy Director at RE:GEN Academy, said: “This programme demonstrates the real power of partnership. With the support of the TVCA’s Skills Bootcamp programme and our collaboration with Thirteen and industry partners, we’re creating genuine opportunities for local people.
“What makes RE:GEN Academy different from traditional training providers is that we are employer-led. Because of RE:GEN’s strong and longstanding partnerships with housing providers like Thirteen, we have clear visibility of the work ahead and the skills needed to deliver it.
“RE:GEN North East is delivering regeneration on the ground, and RE:GEN Academy ensures that investment leaves a lasting legacy, connecting people from those communities to the training, skills and sustainable careers that regeneration creates.
“Ultimately, this is about more than training. It’s about creating pathways into long-term employment and making sure the people living in these communities can benefit directly from the investment happening around them.”
Following this success of delivery across the North East, the Academy is now expanding its employer-led model into the Tees Valley, working with partners to replicate this success and support local workforce development.
Delivered through Education Training Collective, the Skills Bootcamp brings together partners from across the construction supply chain, including manufacturers Wienerberger / Sandtoft and Dakea Windows, as well as employer partners Barclays Roofing and RE:GEN Green.
Cllr Lisa Evans, TVCA Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills and Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: “Skills Bootcamps play an important role in how we respond to the needs of our employers while opening opportunities for more residents.
“This programme shows how an employer-led approach can deliver, with training shaped around the skills in demand and offering clear routes into work.
“By working with Thirteen and RE:GEN, we’re backing them to make sure people can develop the skills they need to progress, while supporting the construction sector with what it needs to deliver vital projects across the Tees Valley in the years to come.”
During the most recent practical workshop, learners gained hands-on experience using a mobile roofing rig, learning installation techniques and working with industry materials, building the practical, site-ready skills needed to move directly into employment.
The initiative highlights how housing providers, contractors, manufacturers and training partners can work together to tackle one of the sector’s most pressing challenges: attracting and developing the next generation of skilled workers.
The programme also supports wider regional priorities, including the Tees Valley Local Skills Improvement Plan and the Government’s wider ambition to strengthen skills pipelines across key industries.
By combining public investment from Tees Valley Combined Authority with employer-led regeneration and industry collaboration, the Skills Bootcamp shows how partnership working can build the skilled workforce needed for the region’s future homes, while creating real, lasting opportunities for local communities.
