NEWCASTLE UXL is dedicated to helping all young people maximise their true potential and raise their aspirations by supporting a wide and flexible range of training and engagement opportunities.

UXL was set up to create one voice for work-based learning, apprenticeship training and foundation learning in Newcastle, ensuring it provides the best learning and training to skill the workforce of the future.

Newcastle UXL is unique in that it does not offer training directly but supports learners through the alliance of Training Providers it works with. This allows us to support young people in a more flexible and varied manner and allows us to offer independent guidance.

Research carried out by Newcastle UXL showed that in 2008/2009 there were only 37 16-18 year olds from ethnic minority target groups engaged in apprenticeships in Newcastle, representing just 2.9% of the 1,289 participants aged 16-18 in apprenticeships. With 12.6% of the working age population of Newcastle belonging to ethnic minority groups with 15% of school leavers in the city belonging to these communities, members of Newcastle’s ethnic minority communities are significantly underrepresented in apprenticeships.

Also, females are heavily under-represented in construction and engineering apprenticeships in Newcastle. In 2008/09, only 0.8% of Construction apprenticeship places were filled by females and only 1.7% of Engineering apprenticeship filled by females. Similarly, males in Newcastle face under-representation in hairdressing and health and social care. In 2008/09 only 1.0% of apprentices in the Service Enterprise sector (including hairdressing) were male and only 1.4% of those in the childcare sector were male.

Newcastle UXL works with young people, employers and providers across all sectors to address this issue and promote integration, equality and diversity wherever they can.

It has been hugely successful since its ‘Diversity in Apprenticeships’ project launch in January this year and with the co-operation of its training providers, the local authority, local businesses and a large network of other key stakeholders it has secured many highly diverse and exciting apprenticeships for some wonderful young people.

It is hoped that this project will go a long way in providing for the future of our local young people as well as enhancing the regional economy and making sure that Newcastle and the North East continue to be pioneers and leaders in industry.