Member Article

Forum names Gateshead College as strategic partner

Gateshead College have been named as the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s further education partner, in a move which is set to provide students with the skills to become the region’s next generation of entrepreneurs.

The College will be one of the Forum’s seven strategic partners, and will allow them to benefit from the expertise and expertise of Forum members including John Hays, managing director of Hays Travel, Sage’s chief executive Paul Walker and Tom Maxfield.

The College is dedicated to providing students with a full set of entrepreneurial skills, and is also a founding member of Gazelle, a company created by five college principals including Richard Thorold, Gateshead’s principal and CEO. The organisation is dedicated to building a recognisable cluster of entrepreneurial colleges over the next five years.

Robin Mackie, chairman of Gateshead College and co-founder, chief technology officer and senior vice president of Smith Electric, said: “Education needs to change radically if we are to give our students the skills they need to create their own opportunities or to help them be a first class employee.

“With an entrepreneurial approach to teaching, across the whole college, students will develop skills and qualities which will give them a greater chance of success in life and work and which will ultimately help drive our regional economy.

“Using the resources and expertise of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and its members will be important as we make the transformation to becoming an entrepreneurial college”.

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum was established in 2002 for the good of individuals, business and the North East. It exists to support entrepreneurs, and to inspire and encourage growth and wealth creation in the North East.

Its members include some of the region’s best known business leaders, and their contribution to the economy includes a combined turnover of £6.9bn and 34,000 employees.

Nigel Mills, chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Gateshead College as a new partner.

“We’re really looking forward to working with Gateshead College. We share the aim of creating wealth and business growth in the North East and we’re excited by their vision for transforming education. Together I hope we can inspire students to be employers and entrepreneurial employees.

“The college’s approach to the adoption of entrepreneurship and embedding this throughout its DNA is innovative and sets a blue print for way business skills and behaviours should be taught.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .