What We Do

Our vision is of a dynamic and more inclusive economy, one that brings together people and opportunities to create vibrant communities and a high quality of life. 

To support our vision, our region requires a skills infrastructure that is fully aware of, and responsive to, the sectors that have labour and skills shortages. 

NTCA’s Strategic Skills Plan puts skills at the centre of NTCA’s economic ambitions and will: 

– Provide a clear direction of travel to skills commissioners, our provider networks and employers
– Influence local skills provision and curriculum design
– Become a vital tool in setting priorities, allocating resources and potential funding. 

We want to see an education, employment and skills system in the North of Tyne where:

– young people will leave the education system with the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to succeed
-working-age adults who are out of work or who have low levels of skills will have access to the support they need to enter and sustain employment
– carers will have the opportunity to be supported tor eturn to employment, education or training
– all residents have the chance to up-skill and progress in their careers

North of Tyne Combined Authority and Department for Work and Pensions Joint Employment Support Framework

The North of Tyne Devolution Agreement (published on the 8 November 2018) built the foundations for tackling employment, skills, and opportunities in our region collaboratively. Devolution has given us the chance to make our own decisions about our own future. We are targeting investment where we know we need it most, making a strong connection between economic growth and providing people with the skills, education and confidence to benefit from the opportunities that follow.

Within the Agreement there is a commitment for NTCA and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to jointly develop and adopt an Employment Support Framework. Which serves to drive better coordination of employment, skills, and health services across the North of Tyne area and increase the number of residents moving into work. The intention for the Framework, and its supporting Delivery Plan, is to significantly contribute to a more inclusive economy in the North of Tyne. Collaboration, innovation, and co-design are at the heart of this shared Framework which received formal assent from the Secretary of State in October 2020. 

Read the DWP Joint Framework

North of Tyne Employability Plan

The North of Tyne Employability Plan provides an opportunity to develop a more collaborative approach across North of Tyne to address the barriers to employment and the challenges employers are currently facing to support economic recovery and growth. Stakeholders across North of Tyne are encouraged to refer to this strategy within their own plans knowing that collectively we will be working towards the same shared goals. 

The content of the plan includes an overview of the priorities and employability interventions required to support our inclusive economy, and which are likely to have the greatest impact in terms of addressing the barriers to employment residents face. These priorities provide a mechanism for NTCA to strengthen our role in developing & supporting innovative employment support programmes. 

Over the next 2 years we will, along with our partners, focus our efforts on the following priorities:

• Provide employment support for the most disadvantaged. 
• Develop local community-led and place-based approaches.
• Support people with long-term health conditions, through the development of integrated employment programmes 
• Provide good quality jobs.

Read the North of Tyne Employability Plan

Strategic Employability Group

The North of The Strategic Employability was established early in 2023 to provide a cross-sector platform generating a more cohesive and collaborative approach to employment support across North of Tyne. The Group will assume oversight of the North of Tyne Employability Plan and will champion, initiate, and drive activities within the region to realise the ambitions it sets out. 

Members of this group include NTCA, Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland local authorities, Voluntary Organisations North East (VONNE), DWP, Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Federation of Small Businesses, National Careers Service, Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle United Foundation and representatives from housing associations.

The role of this group includes:

• Supporting, developing and sustaining a cohesive and coordinated approach to employment support across North of Tyne.
• Sharing intelligence from across labour market systems to identify gaps in provision, responses and interventions to address emerging issues
• Working closely with local Employment Partnerships – share information, intelligence and best practice to ensure responses fit with local needs.  
• Developing co-designed ideas including new ways of working that seek to better integrate and strengthen relevant employment interventions.
• Bringing together representatives of local employers and providers to understand local employment needs and translate them into employment support services
• Acting in an advisory capacity to support the delivery of the joint DWP/NTCA’s Employment Framework.

UKSPF People and Skills

UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) funding will be invested in activities supporting local residents to secure jobs, stay in work, and progress their careers through skills development. This will include: one-to-one support to help economically inactive people overcome barriers to work, such as lack of basic skills or health problems; supporting people to stay in work and helping people currently in work to update their skills so they can do jobs in the growing ‘green economy’.

A total of up to £11.6m UKSPF revenue funding is available to invest in People and Skills activities in the North of Tyne area up to March 2025. More details can be found on the UKSPF People and Skills page.

Below you will find details of current projects, commissioned to support the North of Tyne Employability Plan.

Our North of Tyne vision is of a dynamic, sustainable and more inclusive economy. This is one that brings together people and opportunities to create vibrant communities and a good quality of life. We have an ambition to narrow inequalities and ensure that everyone has a stake in our region’s future.