We are based in a multi million pound Skills Academy on Kingsway, Team Valley. The premises were a result of a successful collaborative bid for funding through One North East and the Tyne and Wear Partnership. We share these fantastic new facilities with Gateshead College and a number of our partners within the Gateshead Collective (a consortium of local training providers - see below).

The Skills Academy has excellent training and conference facilities, which means that through working in partnership we can offer an even higher quality of service to all of our clients.

Sub contractors

Through utilising the specialist services of other training providers and colleges we have been able to broaden the range of provision we can offer our customers. We currently delver apprenticeships for Security Systems Engineers in partnership with City of Sunderland College and Accounting apprenticeships, advanced and higher apprenticeships in partnership with Gateshead College, Kaplan, City of Sunderland College and ABAC Training. This also means that we are able to offer a variety of different delivery methods and locations for the benefit of employers and learners.

We are committed to working with others, and are always willing to consider new partners and new ideas. Contact Malcolm Armstrong - 0191 4904660 for further details.

Gateshead Collective

We are a founder member of this Gateshead based consortium of training providers, and the Gateshead Collective is also based at the Gateshead Skills Academy. 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 Collective partners are ITEC North East, NEETA Ltd, Rathbone UK, General Physics, TDR Ltd, Van Hee and Gateshead College. Together, the Collective works with over 500 employers in the region 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!

"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

Collaborative Delivery for employers

17 Team Leaders at St Gobain Quartz, with Paula Lawson, HR Manager, Christine Barrass and Russell Lee from Access

An excellent example of collaborative delivery for an employer was when Access 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 and TDR joined forces to ensure the programme for Saint-Gobain was delivered in a comprehensive and flexible manner.

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.

'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

Work with schools