David Leahy - Collective Co-ordinator

We are a founder member of this Gateshead based consortium of training providers, and the Gateshead Collective is based at our offices on the Team Valley.

We work together to improve the quality of provision in the area, sharing good practice and helping each other to provide a better service to employers and learners.

Our CoVE partners (ITEC North East and Gateshead College) are joined by NEETA Limited, TDR and General Physics in providing a ‘one stop shop’ – offering provision from accounting to engineering, hairdressing to ICT.

If we can’t help one of our partners surely can!

David Leahy, full time Coordinator, supports the work of all partners in

• developing links with local schools


• developing links with the Connexions service and


• facilitating the work of the Collective Quality and Employer Engagement groups.

"Good protocols have been established to manage processes for communication with potential customers."
Ofsted July 2007

17 Team Leaders at St Gobain Quartz, with Paula Lawson, HR Manger,
Christine Scott and Russell Lee from Access Training
An excellent example of collaborative Collective delivery for an employer was when Access Training recently worked with Wallsend company Saint-Gobain Quartz. A training needs analysis had shown that many of its employees would benefit from both operative training and the development of team leading skills. Funding support for a training programme was accessed through Business Link and the Train to Gain programme. Access Training and TDR joined forces to ensure the programme for Saint-Gobain was delivered in a comprehensive and flexible manner.

'It is rare to find one training provider able to satisfy all employer needs. By working together on behalf of the company, TDR and ourselves have shown that a collaborative approach can be really effective.’
Malcolm Armstrong, Managing Director, Access Training Ltd.

Saint-Gobain Quartz was delighted with the results of this collaboration, and see the improved performance of staff already having positive impacts on the business.


Vocational Learning Centre
We hope to be in new premises by January 2008, sharing a new building with most of our partners at the Gateshead Collective. The Gateshead Centre for Vocational Leaning will house the Business and Management CoVE (sharing training facilities with ITEC North East), training and conference facilities for all partners, Gateshead College’s new Construction training centre, and a range of facilities aimed at vocational education for 14-19 learners from local schools. The building (almost 50000 sq feet) will become a prominent feature on the Team Valley and will hopefully be a catalyst for even more partnership working.

We are committed to working with others, and we are always willing to consider new partners and new ideas.

"Access Training Managers have taken a lead role in the development of a local consortium of training providers. Plans for the development of new joint premises are at an advanced stage."
Ofsted July 2007

If you would like to work in partnership with us, or would like to find out more about how partnership arrangements work, then get in touch.

Telephone our Managing Director, Malcolm Armstrong on 0191 4874454
Or email to malcolmarmstrong@accesstraining.org
Or use our online contact form and we’ll get back to you.


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