Member Article

Innovative IT Academy creates 100 jobs just two years on from Newburn floods disaster

A local IT consultancy estimate that up to 100 jobs are to be created in the coming 18 months thanks to the success of their IT training initiative.

The Wolf Academy, the first training programme of its kind in the North East, was specifically designed to help tackle the IT skills shortage the region currently faces.

This comes two-years after the 2012 Newburn floods disaster which saw the Wolf Group, based in the village at the time, left homeless after their premises suffered severe water damage from a large culvert collapse.

Since relocating to North Tyneside Wolf Group have managed to rebuild, establishing an academy that provides the unemployed and those interested in improving their career prospects with much sought after IT skills and experience.

Managing director of the Wolf Group, Marc Fowler said: “Two years ago plans for the academy ground to a halt after our Newburn offices were flooded.

“Now however, the Wolf Academy is a thriving, ambitious yet common sense approach to tackling unemployment, particularly amongst the tech-savvy under 25s who benefit from the more natural step between education and the work place.

“For students, the academy provides training to meet a range growing digital needs such as the skills required for analysts and developers to testers and database administrators.

“For employers, the scheme cuts recruitment costs and provides employees that are technically able and have a proven track record, something not all graduates can boast.”

Once each student reaches the sixth month mark of their course they become ‘development ready’, - a stage where they can begin paid apprenticeships working on a variety of real world projects.

Currently the Wolf Academy have around 20 students - a number which is rapidly increasing. It’s hoped the initiative will not only reduce unemployment locally, but also help to create and sustain a reputation for innovation, technology and software development in the region.

The Wolf Group has been established for almost 16 years and provide IT consultancy and software solutions to SME’s and Corporates. For more information on the Wolf Academy visit: www.wolfgroup.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Wolf Group .