UCU condemns proposed closure of Skills Academy and threat to jobs

All eight members of staff at the Skills Academy have been placed at risk of redundancy. The Education Training Collective (ETC), which runs the site, plans to move students to Stockton Riverside College from September, slashing the number of teaching roles from eight to just two. 

The cuts are part of a wider restructure across ETC, with the employer claiming 13 roles are at risk, but UCU believes the real number could be up to 18.  

UCU criticised the lack of transparency and said the loss of the Skills Academy would be a major blow to young people who cannot thrive in mainstream education. The union urged ETC to consider the serious impact this decision will have on the most vulnerable learners and families in the Tees Valley. 

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'This is a short-sighted and damaging proposal which will serve to damage the group's reputation, take a lifeline away from the most vulnerable learners and families, and threaten the livelihoods of our members. 

'Skills Academy is a vital and transformative educational experience for young people often disengaged from mainstream education within the Tees Valley region. There has been a lack of transparency from ETC throughout this process, we now implore it to reconsider its position, protect jobs, and preserve the current learning environment, which allows young people to succeed.'