Working with Middlesbrough College to open up opportunities

We’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Middlesbrough College to formalise our shared commitment. It’s a big step forward in our ambition to connect with our neighbours and make a lasting difference in our communities.

What this means for local people

By combining our role as one of the region’s largest employers and housing providers with Middlesbrough College’s expertise in technical education, we’ll:

• Offer industry placements and T-Level opportunities for students
• Support apprenticeships and upskilling for our customers and colleagues
• Deliver skills bootcamps and tailored training for unemployed adults and young people not in education, employment or training (NEET)

Joanne Lawther, our Director of People and Culture, said:

“We’re expecting to deliver a lot more quality new homes over the next decade, thanks to recent government funding. That means more opportunities, not just with us, but across our supply chain too.

We want local people to be ready to take advantage of those opportunities. This partnership strengthens how we work with Middlesbrough College to make that happen. Last year, we helped 865 customers into jobs and training – and we’re ambitious to do even more.”

Gary Potts, Vice Principal at Middlesbrough College, added:

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to creating opportunities that make a real difference. By working closely with Thirteen, we can connect education with employment – helping students gain valuable experience and supporting local people to develop the skills employers need.”

This partnership is part of our wider ambition to grow a skilled local workforce, drive social mobility and make sure everyone has the chance to succeed.

Our marketing and communications colleagues alongside Elle Taylor, our learning and development business partner have already kicked off our partnership with a series of placement projects alongside 15 media, broadcast and production T-Level students. The students have been set several creative briefs to select from and we look forward to seeing their research, development and final outcomes over the next few months.