Teesside’s next generation of builders, carers and engineers to benefit from a radical skills programme
27th May 2025
Up to £5 million has been confirmed for Skills Bootcamps in Teesside, creating new training opportunities for local workers as part of Labour’s Plan for Change. Backed by a record-breaking £3 billion apprenticeship budget, 30,000 additional apprenticeship starts will help address skills shortages and reduce reliance on migrant labour.
This investment forms part of a radical skills programme delivering 120,000 new training opportunities across England. With changes to English and Maths requirements unlocking thousands more adult apprenticeships, young people in Teesside will have more routes into high-demand jobs in construction, care, engineering and digital, securing growth and good work for the region.
Luke Myer, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said:
“Our Plan for Change needs a skills revolution and these landmark reforms, backed by unprecedented investment, will ensure we give young people the best start.
“When I speak with families and employers in communities from Loftus to Hemlington, I hear the same message, people want more chances for the next generation. Labour is delivering, with new routes into construction, care, and the high-skill jobs of the future.
“Labour is backing young people in Teesside so they can learn a trade, earn a wage and rebuild our country.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“A skilled workforce is the key to steering the economy forward, and today we’re backing the next generation by giving young people more opportunities to learn a trade, earn a wage and achieve and thrive.
“When we invest in skills for young people, we invest in a shared, stronger economic future, creating opportunities as part of our Plan for Change.
“But everyone has a role to play in a thriving economy, and we’re taking our responsibility seriously providing more routes into employment, it’s now the responsibility of young people to take them.”
References:
- Luke Myer is the MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.
- Luke serves as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage.
- This announcement supports Labour’s Youth Guarantee and Plan for Change – creating more than 45,000 new training places across England by 2026 through a 32 percent increase in the Immigration Skills Charge. By refocusing apprenticeship funding on younger people and practical courses, Labour is putting the country’s economic future into the hands of a new generation of skilled workers.
- Tees Valley Combined Authority has been allocated £5,469,579.70 to support Skills Bootcamps in 2025–26. Full allocations are available here: Skills Bootcamps funding allocations 2025 to 2026.
- The Department for Education newsdesk is contactable at 020 7783 8300.
- Apprenticeships in England by industry characteristics: 2022 to 2023, available here: DfE Apprenticeship Statistics.
- New foundation apprenticeships launching in August 2025 will focus on Construction & Built Environment, Engineering and Manufacturing, Health and Social Care, and Digital.
- Luke Myer MP recently appeared on BBC Tees to discuss youth unemployment and skills in Teesside, following the government’s £5 million Youth Guarantee Trailblazer investment.