New College Durham (NCD), a further and higher education college in County Durham, and DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand and American power tool manufacturer, have announced their partnership to support growing skills for tradespeople in the United Kingdom. This partnership is part of DEWALT’s ‘Grow the Trades’ initiative — a $5 million (£3.65 million) commitment to close the skilled trades gap in Europe by helping provide greater accessibility and resources for trades training.
As part of the Grow the Trades partnership with DEWALT, NCD is the first of 10 colleges in the UK to partner with the newly-formed DEWALT Academy, a group of DEWALT product experts who provide hands-on guidance on how to use tools on the jobsite with a focus on trade education, including mechanical maintenance and joinery. The DEWALT Academy is supporting the school’s vocational courses and apprenticeships by providing additional training and free tools for its aspiring trade professionals.
“The construction industry alone in the UK is expected to lose 500,000 skilled workers over the course of the next decade due to retirement,” says David Osborne, Vice President of Commercial Excellence at Stanley Black & Decker. “To help fill these critical roles and inspire the next generation of tradespeople, DEWALT, through our Grow The Trades initiative and partnership with NCD, is focused on providing students access to training, high-quality tools, and equipment to empower them with the skills, confidence, and hands-on experience needed to thrive in their future careers.”
Principal and Chief Executive of New College Durham Andy Broadbent shares, “It’s a privilege to be involved in such an amazing new initiative and to lead the way in its launch across the country. We’re honoured to be the sole partner in the North East of England, and to lead the way in bringing this national programme to life at New College Durham. This partnership represents not just an investment in tools, but in people, education, and the future workforce. I am especially excited about the broader benefits this collaboration will bring—from enhanced curriculum development to further opportunities for student and trainee support”.
Head of the School Simon Muschamp concludes, “We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to DEWALT for choosing New College Durham to launch this ambitious project. Your commitment to investing in the next generation of joiners, carpenters, mechanics, and engineers is truly appreciated. Our students will gain so much from this programme, and we’re confident it will leave a lasting impact on their learning journey and future careers.”
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