News

North East businesses have a chance to secure final government-funded places on a popular Team Leader apprenticeship – ahead of funding being withdrawn from September.

Apprenticeship takes Eva from administrator to strategic HR advisor.

Apprenticeship takes Jess from sixth form to strategic HR advisor.

Access Training is excited to announce they have been shortlisted for the AAT Training Provider Awards, under the Apprenticeship Provider of the Year category.

The decision by Gateshead-based Access Training Ltd to sign the Armed Forces Covenant signals an ongoing commitment to ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

A high-achieving 24-year-old, from Sunderland, has beaten hundreds of apprentices to be crowned North East England’s ‘Higher Apprentice of the Year’ at the regional final of the National Apprenticeship Awards.

“It all started with a Business Admin apprenticeship…” – and look where it led.

Stress Awareness Month 2025: How Access Training Supports Mental Wellbeing at Work

Award-winning North-East training provider Access Training is highlighting the importance of Experienced Worker Assessments (EWA) for experienced Fire and Security Engineers to demonstrate their competency.

When Should You Apply for an Apprenticeship if You’re Leaving School in June 2025?

North East training provider, Access Training, which was recently acquired by The University of Sunderland, has appointed two new directors to support it through an expected period of significant growth.

The University of Sunderland has announced today that it has acquired Access Training, an award-winning and highly regarded independent training provider that delivers commercial skills training and apprenticeships to businesses and individuals across the north-east of England.

North East colleges and training providers are being offered a lifeline and generous government grants to help them address ongoing trainer/teacher and assessor shortages.

Due to high demand for fire, emergency and security systems apprenticeships and a need to keep pace with advancing technology in the industry, Access Training has invested £50,000 in a brand-new training facility that will train 100 apprentices a year from County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Cumberland.

We chatted to Alison who is the owner of Reynolds HR and OD. Reynolds HR and OD provide an additional HR provision and offers the support of over 20 years of experience.

Gateshead firm, Access Training, has been awarded the rare ‘Expert Training Provider’ status by the Department for Education and will now help the region’s employers in terms of both time and cost savings.

Gateshead-based Access Training is celebrating its 40th birthday and has announced it is on track to grow turnover by a third by the end of its financial year in July – bringing an impressive 85% growth in revenue over its last two financial years. 

Traffic at the Tyne Tunnels is up by a fifth since it switched to open-road-tolling – which has led to the recruitment of eight new apprentices – and vacancies for two more – to keep pace with service demand.

Team Valley based training company, Access Training, is reporting strong growth and an ambitious trajectory for expansion – under the steer of a new MD and senior management team.

Apprenticeships are getting exciting in Gateshead with Access Training.

A leading north east training provider has appointed an accountancy expert and former apprentice employer to train the next generation of accounting technicians.

Team Valley based Access Training has added to its team in response to the increasing demand for fire, security and emergency systems apprenticeships in the region.

Home Group, one of the UK’s largest and most established housing associations, has used its apprenticeship levy to develop a management level accountancy programme in partnership with training company Access Training.

A former apprentice who is now Operations Director at Chartwise, a Team Valley based transport consultancy, has returned to his original vocational training provider Access Training to take a management development programme – an apprenticeship in Leadership and Management Level 5.

We would like you to take part in a national learner survey being carried out by the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

A Newcastle charity has become one of the first in the North East to benefit from a new apprenticeship designed by employers, to better meet the administration needs of a modern-day business.

A North East accountancy firm has taken on its eighth apprentice in response to an upsurge in work following the launch of a new cloud accounting service and preparations for the forthcoming HMRC changes – ‘Making Tax Digital’.

Access Training has been revealed as number one in the North East region – and in the top 6 percent nationally – for quality training, according to the learners they work with.

It’s official! Following a recent Ofsted inspection, Access Training have been confirmed as a ‘Good’ provider….again!

North East security firms and their apprentices are set to receive a boost as a much-needed security training facility opens its doors in Gateshead.

We would like you to take part in a national learner survey being carried out by the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

An ambitious young woman from Gateshead is following in her family’s footsteps after securing an apprenticeship with Access Training – a career path her mum embarked upon with the very same provider three decades ago.

With its workforce and service offering doubling in the past year, one Gateshead charity is investing in apprenticeships to help cope with increased demand, by following the success and training set by its star employee.

A manufacturing company in Gateshead is using apprenticeships to upskill seven of its workforce into team leader and managerial roles, as it continues to grow international operations in several sectors including transport, energy, industrial and defence.

Not only has the government introduced the levy but they have also introduced the new standards replacing many original Apprenticeship frameworks and covering a wider range of job roles – it’s the biggest shake-up of Apprenticeships in decades.

An unemployed Gateshead woman who left school with no qualifications due to being badly burned as a child – has got her life back on track thanks to specialist training.

North East businesses are being urged to get advice on how the biggest shake-up of apprenticeships in decades will affect them.

We would like you to take part in a national learner survey being carried out by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). This survey captures the views of learners at colleges and training providers. Scores will be published nationally so that potential learners and employers can compare training providers based on learners’ experiences.

We would greatly appreciate […]

A Durham workwear clothing company is expanding due to rapid growth which has seen them ranked 16th in the top ‘Fastest 50’ growing companies in the North East by Ward Hadaway.

This is the third year in succession Workwear Express has made the list and they say their growth is mainly down to heavy investment in […]

North Tyneside accountancy firm, Blu Sky Tax, has beaten hundreds of companies to be crowned the North East’s ‘Small Employer of the Year’ at the regional final of the National Apprenticeship Awards.

Blu Sky impressed the judging panel by doubling its team and its profits thanks to the launch of its apprenticeship scheme which has resulted […]

A Gateshead security company has expanded thanks to several new contract wins and investment in its fibre optic service, which has led to increased demand and the need for two new apprentices.

CJ Electratech which specialises in CCTV, fibre optic termination and access control systems, is seeing a multi-thousand-pound investment in specialist fibre optic equipment pay […]

A Peterlee company has invested over 3.5m in new equipment and staff development following a major new contract win from Jaguar Landrover.

Automotive parts manufacturer Mecaplast has purchased four new injection moulding machines, ranging from 800 to 2,300 tonnes, and formed a partnership with Access Training to upskill and develop its growing management team.

The firm will […]

A Tyneside firm has expanded its accounting apprenticeship programme with Gateshead based Access Training to support £200m recent contract wins.

Wood Group Industrial Services Limited (WGIS), part of the international energy services company, John Wood Group Plc, recently secured a number of new long term contracts potentially worth in excess of £200m over the next five […]

A major national survey of employers has revealed that satisfaction with skills training is at a record high – with independent providers doing particularly well.

Over 54,000 employers took part in the FE Choices Employer Satisfaction Survey and gave their views on the training their employees received from colleges and learning providers. The results show:

77% of […]

Gateshead-based Westray Recruitment Consultants has expanded after winning a major new contract with global outdoor sporting specialists, Scott Sports.

Westray is helping Scott Sports SA’s UK branch to source additional staff to support its 25-strong team based in Cramlington. The firm is strengthening their marketing, customer service, finance and aftersales departments due to the recent acquisitions […]

A North Tyneside company is celebrating a 1.2m contract win following a move to bolster its management team to secure more public sector contracts.

North Shields-based 2020 Vision Systems Ltd has been selected to provide a fully-integrated security system for The University of Birmingham, after winning a competitive European tender. The firm believes securing the contract […]

A County Durham woman has won a place at university and found a promising career after dropping out of college twice and feeling hopeless about her prospects.

Lauren Wylie, 20, from Ouston near Birtley, turned her back on two different college courses after leaving school, before deciding to try an apprenticeship.

She went to Access Training who […]

A North Tyneside accountancy firm has doubled its team and seen turnover rise sharply, following the launch of an apprenticeship scheme which it describes as a one of its “major contributors to growth”.

Blu Sky Chartered Accountants, based in North Shields, was set-up in 2008 by chartered accountant Jon Dudgeon and tax advisor Dave Gibson to […]

This is your invitation to our Apprenticeship Open Day – we have over 40 vacancies available in the

following occupational areas:

Accounting, Business Administration, Customer Service, Social Media, IT User, Hairdressing & Barbering, Beauty Therapy, Warehousing, Manufacturing and Installing Security Systems

 Find out more about Apprenticeships -real work, real wages, […]

The South Tyneside depot of Europe’s largest refreshment supplier is investing in staff upskilling to support major changes to the business, which has changed its name and its direction.

Pelican Rouge – formerly Autobar UK – employs 62 people at its base in Boldon and 1,600 people UK-wide. The firm is pursuing growth through what it […]

“The strategic focus on continuous improvement is borne out by the consistently high and rising qualification and progression outcomes for learners and the number of local employers who repeatedly use Access as their preferred training organisation”

Access Training are celebrating after gaining ‘good’ grades at a national (Ofsted) inspection for the 4th time in a row. […]

This is your invitation to our Hairdressing & Beauty Therapy Taster day – see Hairdressing and beauty treatments being carried out, and apprentices demonstrating their skills, even have a go yourself!

Receive a free hairdressing or beauty gift and a treatment discount voucher.

Find out more about Apprenticeships -real work, real […]

GP surgeries across the North East are turning to apprenticeship programmes to help fill the skills gap which exists for quality administrative staff.

Gateshead Community Based Care (GCBC) is working with GP Practices in Gateshead to recruit apprentices on their behalf. Alyson Wilson, Operations Manager at GCBC, said: “There’s a lot of talk about skills shortages […]

Having recently carried out our own learner survey we are now asking learners to take part in a national learner survey being carried out by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). This survey captures the views of learners at colleges and training providers. Scores will be published nationally so that potential learners and employers can compare […]

A specialist electrical communications and security firm has embarked on a new approach to recruitment as businesses across the North East continue to feel the effects of the region’s skills shortage.

Established in 2009, Cramlington-based MRM Solutions specialises in the installation of CCTV, aerials and satellites, alarms and fire detection equipment. Last year, the company doubled […]

Gateshead based Easibathe and Easiaccess is seeing the benefits of using apprenticeships to boost its workforce 3 times over in less than 12 months.

The North East based bathing and ramping specialist recruited its first apprentice, 20-year-old Elliot McClurry, in June 2013, through Access Training and have been very impressed with the potential he has already […]

A local apprentice who started as a business administration assistant more than a decade ago at Newcastle-based car dealership Benfield Motor Group has now progressed to customer engagement manager, thanks to help from Access Training.

Access Training placed 28-year-old Toni Nelson at Benfield Motor Group in 2003 to gain hands on workplace experience and complete her […]

Coxhoe-based Platinum Physiotherapy and Personal Training (Platinum PPT) is seeing the benefits of using apprenticeships to boost its workforce.

The Durham-based fitness and physiotherapy practice recruited its first ever apprentice, 20-year-old Jack Duffy, in July 2013, through award-winning Access Training and have been impressed with the potential he has showed during his year-long apprenticeship.

Mr Duffy who completed […]

An established Bishop Auckland accountancy practice is celebrating after winning a prestigious regional award for its ongoing commitment to the training of apprentices.

Mitchells Grievson entered into the National Apprenticeship Awards 2014 earlier this year having been nominated by its training provider, Team Valley-based Access Training.  It was successful in winning Small Employer of the Year […]

Joanne McTeer has put her fears of returning to work behind her to secure her first job in 15 years following completion of a course designed to help the unemployed back into work.

Joanne, 34, had been unemployed for 15 years after taking a break from full-time working to raise her four children. With the youngest […]

An established Bishop Auckland accountancy practice has had its ongoing commitment to the training of apprentices recognised, having been shortlisted as a regional finalist for a coveted industry award.

Mitchells Grievson entered into the National Apprenticeship Awards 2014 earlier this year having been nominated by its training provider, Team Valley-based Access Training. Following a thorough application […]

Student Stacey Dunn is fulfilling her dreams of a career in the beauty industry thanks to a change in funding by the government which has enabled her to fund her studies and return to education.

The change in funding support was introduced last year, and gives Level 3 and 4 students in further education and work-based […]

Each year the Skills Funding Agency asks employers to evaluate the quality of government –funded training provided by training providers and colleges.

The survey results are collated to produce an Employer Satisfaction Performance Indicator for each provider which are published on the FE Choices website to enable employers to make comparisons between providers.

We would greatly appreciate […]

‘We can only improve if we know what our learners and employers think of us’. That’s the firm view of Malcolm Armstrong, MD at Access Training.

So here at Access we do as much as possible to gather and analyse the views of our customers, through taking part in national surveys or using our own ‘internally […]

An apprenticeship in Social Media and Digital Marketing has allowed a Gateshead employee to develop skills that have helped two Gateshead enterprise networks to grow their online presence.

Natasha Curry, 24 from Sunderland, was employed as Network Co-ordinator working for Digital Union and Gateshead Business, but her manager believed that with additional training and support, her […]

Apprenticeship Week – now it its seventh year will take place from Monday 3 March to Friday 7 March 2014. The aim of the week which is organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices and celebrate the value of Apprenticeships.

It will see apprentices, employers, providers and […]

Having recently carried out our own learner survey we are now asking learners to take part in a national learner survey being carried out by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). This survey captures the views of learners at colleges and training providers. Scores will be published nationally so that potential learners and employers can compare training providers […]

Twenty manufacturing employees at North East-based pharmaceutical firm, Shasun Pharma Solutions Ltd, have completed an apprenticeship in Improving Operational Performance.

For the past 12 months, the employees have been working with training provider Access Training towards a full apprenticeship, which includes an NVQ in Performing Manufacturing Operations, a technical certificate in Industrial Environment Awareness and functional […]

A 16-year-old Gateshead student who wanted to continue his education and benefit from an income at the same time has secured a new apprenticeship, just weeks after attending an event held to promote apprenticeships in the region and help people into work.

In August, Rhys Walker attended ‘Which Way Now’, an event organised by the Gateshead […]

A Gateshead woman who was crowned North East Higher Apprentice of the Year has submitted her entry to the national final of the prestigious awards.

Michele Watson won the regional final following nomination by her training provider, Team Valley-based Access Training.

She was nominated by Access not only for her achievements, having been promoted from PA to […]

A Washington manufacturing company has won USA contracts worth over £1m and is bolstering its finance department to support buoyant sales abroad. TRM Group, which makes mineral insulated trace heating and temperature measurement products, has won projects in the United States supplying their products to the latest generation of solar thermal power stations. This new, […]

A young Gateshead man who was on the verge of giving up on his goal of finding an apprenticeship after two years and many failed job applications, has finally won a job.

Ryan Smith, 20, from Dunston, is elated after being taken on as an apprentice office administrator by Stannah Lift Services in Gateshead.

Ryan said he […]

The government’s much talked about flagship Traineeships programme is set to launch in the region.

It is estimated that a quarter of sixth formers return to school only because they can’t secure an apprenticeship or a fulltime job. A lack of work experience is one of the main reasons young people can’t find employment and Traineeships […]

A 39-year-old County Durham woman who feared she may never work again after being unemployed for over three years, has finally won a job.

Single parent Beverley Renwick, from Pelaw in County Durham, had lost all her confidence after taking time-out to bring up her two children and she regretted not pursuing a career earlier in […]

A North Shields firm has expanded with the recruitment of an apprentice, thanks to support from a government grant.

Custodian Total Security Services which specialises in intruder alarms, CCTV and access control systems, has appointed Kallum Whitelaw,17, from North Shields with help from £1,500 of funding.

The firm was struggling to recruit technicians and had in the […]

A North Tyneside accountancy firm is finding that apprenticeships add-up for them as they recruit two new trainees, with support from a government grant.

Sadler Joyce, based in Whitley Bay, took advantage of £1,500 of funding to take on accounting apprentice, Emma Savage. And they were so pleased with the impact Emma had on the business […]

Gateshead company Access Training is expanding, with the recruitment of two new staff.

The Team Valley based firm has appointed Nicola McKegney as employer and training adviser and Alex Meredith as training adviser to drive forward its unemployed provision.

Alex, from Chester-le-Street, is a former secondary school teacher and is training unemployed adults in IT and employability […]

Access Training are proud to support the 2013 Apprenticeship Challenge (started on 22 April), organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and promoted through Capital Radio.

The Challenge is to encourage as many employers as possible to recruit as many apprentices as possible over the 100 day period. To find out more about the challenge and […]

WIN a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2!

To celebrate the launch of our Apprenticeship in Social Media & Digital Marketing, we’re giving away a fantastic Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.

Companies keen to know how tweets, fans and followers can boost their bottom line are to get a helping hand as a new Social Media Apprenticeship is launched.

Access Training has introduced the course in response to an increasing number of SMEs that recognise the value of using social media as a marketing tool but don’t […]

Access Training has expanded into County Durham with the buyout of a Durham training provider. Gateshead based Access Training has announced the acquisition of Durham Training which has a training centre in Chester-le-Street.

Established in 1989 from the management buyout of English Estates YTS, Access Training has grown to be one of the leading apprenticeship training […]

Northumberland’s largest manufacturing company is investing in its future workforce by developing a brand new apprentice facility and training 11 new apprentices.

EGGER, which employs over 550 people at its Hexham plant where it manufactures chipboard products, will open a dedicated engineering apprentice training facility later in the year. The training suite will enable EGGER to […]

A Newcastle teenager who longed for an apprenticeship has finally won one thanks to a new course and expert support.

Ross Cannell, 19, from Gosforth, has been taken on as an apprentice by Amici’s Restaurants in Forest Hall.

He applied for a bundle of apprenticeships after leaving sixth form, where he completed BTEC qualifications. He was then […]

Apprenticeship Week will take place from Monday 11 March to Friday 15 March 2013. The aim of the week which is organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices and celebrate the value of Apprenticeships. It will see apprentices, employers, providers and all those involved with Apprenticeship […]

A twenty-one year old apprentice who swapped a history degree for a job at a Gateshead engineering giant has progressed to an accountancy job within the firm.

Amy Halpin from Heworth, who is one of Express Engineering’s 23 current apprentices, has completed her first year at the firm and won a promotion to trainee accounts clerk […]

The results of two recent employer surveys have been released and show that Access is providing a well-respected, first-class service to businesses throughout the region.

Every year Access asks all the employers and learners it works with to take part in a Satisfaction Survey. The survey aims to ensure its services are meeting the […]

By Malcolm Armstrong, Managing Director at Access and Chairman of Northumbria Learning Providers.

Not a week goes by lately when you don’t see apprenticeships, and their form and value, being discussed and debated in the media.

The latest in a long line of inquiries into apprenticeships has just been released by the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee. […]

Two north east training providers have launched the region’s first higher apprenticeship in Leadership and Management and have seen several former apprentices return to the classroom as a result.

Access Training and Milltech Training have responded to the government’s push for more Higher Apprenticeships by launching the course, which leads to a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) […]

Peacocks Medical Group is investing heavily in new training thanks to recent success in retaining two major contracts, worth £5m, and launching a new European project.

A 47-year-old Newcastle man who feared he may never work again after three months without a job and 80 failed job applications, has won a job.

In response to demand from small firms in the region, a Gateshead training provider has launched a new Bookkeeping Apprenticeship.

Having recently carried out our own learner survey we are now asking learners to take part in a national learner survey undertaken by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

Access Training are pleased to announce that their recent Ofsted inspection was a great success. 

Access Training has won funding from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) to give free support to other training companies interested in alternative contracting models.

A Gateshead student has secured an apprenticeship that sees her helping other wannabe apprentices get a job.

Access Training carried out its annual learner survey from September to November 2011.

A north east training company has created a new partnership which will secure 50 jobs in the region.

Access Training carried out its annual employer survey in October and November 2011.

Despite challenging times in the training sector, one north east company is bucking the trend by expanding, with the recruitment of four new staff.

Tyneside jobseekers are being offered free help to get back into work – thanks to two new training courses.

As a Training Provider we aim to provide a quality service to our customers – In order to do this we need to monitor and continuously improve our service.

Security Apprentices, Alex Blakey, David Penman, Jordan Ringrose, Louis Taylor and Stephen Thompson have been wowed by the facilities available at the Skills Academy.

Newcastle-based, Apex Radio is a prime example of an employer who has invested in apprenticeships and subsequently reaped the benefits for their business.

Whilst the economic slump has had a huge impact on the drinks industry in the area, one organisation has been working hard to ensure it is in the best possible position to see the downturn through.

The Newcastle City council employees who have all achieved Advanced Apprenticeships in Warehousing. Pictured with Access Skills Adviser, Gary Thorpe and Eric Wilson Warehouse Manager at the Allendale Road site.

Apprenticeship Week will take place from Monday 7 February to Friday 11 February 2011.

We have recently completed our 2010 Learner Survey. 132 questionnaires were returned from all occupational areas.

Two Access apprentices employed by Van Hee Transport are embarking on Degree courses thanks to the qualifications gained during their apprenticeship programmes.