A new region-wide apprenticeship support service designed to connect 1,500 young people with jobs and training is set to launch across the North East.
Led by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, the initiative will operate as one of England’s first region-wide apprenticeship brokerage services, helping hundreds of young people access local career opportunities.
The North East has secured its place in a new Department for Work and Pensions apprenticeship brokerage programme, expected to bring up to £10 million of investment into the region over three years and support 1,500 additional apprenticeship starts by March 2029 – including at least 375 for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Announced by the Chancellor in September, the programme will see apprenticeship brokerage pilots rolled out across England’s Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities.
Mayor Kim said:
“There is no shortage of talent in the North East, but too many young people still struggle to find a route into work.
“We’re changing that.
“This new apprenticeship clearing service will make sure when one door closes, another opens.
“If you miss out on one apprenticeship opportunity, we will help you find the next one as quickly as possible.”
The new service will act as a support service for apprenticeship opportunities, helping talented young people who miss out on one opportunity quickly connect with alternative vacancies and training routes.
Instead of talented applicants being turned away, the new service will help ‘talent magnet’ employers snap up young people still seeking apprenticeship opportunities.
The ‘one stop shop’ brokerage service will introduce dedicated apprenticeship specialists, sector talent pools, employer readiness support and new approaches to matching young people with vacancies.
Christopher Eynon, North East MSA Cabinet Member for Home of Real Opportunity and leader of Sunderland City Council, said:
“Apprenticeships are a great opportunity for young people to work and train, gaining valuable employment experience and developing new skills at the same time.
“We have an extremely dynamic economy in the North East with a wide range of different skill sets that our employers need. This new approach is about bringing those opportunities together.
“If a young person misses out on one apprenticeship, we should be doing everything we can to help them find the next one, understanding the challenges, and making it easier for the small businesses that are the life blood of our economy to harness the potential they have to offer.”
The North East has been identified by DWP as part of Wave Two activity, due to launch in April 2027.
The pilot will initially focus on housing, leisure and tourism, and advanced manufacturing, reflecting regional workforce priorities and growth ambitions.
It comes with the launch of an online toolkit to help young people prepare for apprenticeship applications, interviews and assessments.
The free-to-use apprenticeReady toolkit is designed simplify the recruitment process, and was developed with young people, employers, schools and colleges.
ApprenticeReady is available here: apprenticeReady
The apprenticeships brokerage will be discussed at the next meeting of the North East MSA cabinet, at the Energy Central Training Hub, Blyth, on October 27 at 2pm: Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 27th October, 2026, 2.00 pm – North East CA
