Teessides NETA Training to Launch £478k Immersive Rig, Tackling Engineering Skills Shortage

Building the Future: Teesside’s Bold Step Towards Engineering Excellence

In a move that underscores the urgency of addressing critical workforce shortages in the engineering construction sector, nearly £478,000 of funding from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has been earmarked to create a state-of-the-art immersive training rig in Teesside. This cutting-edge facility will be housed within NETA Training’s forthcoming £14.7 million Thornaby base, which is slated to open its doors in January 2026. Over the course of five years, the training rig is expected to equip more than 400 recruits with essential skills in pipefitting, welding, and mechanical disciplines—fields that are currently grappling with significant talent gaps.

The timing of this investment could not be more critical. Teesside is rapidly emerging as a focal point of industrial transformation, buoyed by the UK government’s £22 billion commitment to carbon capture initiatives such as the Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT) and the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP). These projects, touted as pivotal in the nation’s push towards net-zero emissions, require a robust and highly skilled workforce to bring their ambitious visions to life. Yet, as ECITB’s Labour Forecasting Tool reveals, the region—and indeed the country—is facing a dire shortage of qualified professionals, particularly in the highly specialised realms of welding and pipefitting.

The immersive training rig represents a forward-thinking approach to bridging this gap. Unlike traditional training setups, this facility will simulate real-world engineering environments, allowing trainees to hone their skills in scenarios that closely mirror the challenges they will encounter on-site. Such experiential learning is expected to not only accelerate skill acquisition but also enhance the confidence and readiness of recruits as they transition into the workforce.

However, the rig is but one piece of a larger puzzle. Teesside is already benefiting from a suite of complementary initiatives designed to bolster its industrial talent pipeline. The Tees Valley Net Zero Industry Scholarship, for instance, is providing financial support to apprentices pursuing careers in welding, pipefitting, and electrical engineering—fields deemed critical to the success of the region’s burgeoning green economy. Meanwhile, Redcar and Cleveland College has recently unveiled a new welding block, funded through the Levelling Up and Local Skills Improvement Funds, further expanding training opportunities for aspiring engineers.

This multi-pronged strategy reflects a broader recognition that the challenges facing the engineering construction sector cannot be solved by piecemeal efforts alone. The skills shortage is as much a social issue as it is an economic one, with disadvantaged groups often excluded from opportunities in high-demand fields due to systemic barriers. By situating the training rig within NETA Training’s Thornaby facility—a hub that aims to serve as a bridge between education and employment—the initiative is also a statement of intent: to create pathways into sustainable, well-paying jobs for those who have historically been left behind.

The stakes are high. As Teesside positions itself as a linchpin in the UK’s industrial and environmental strategy, its ability to deliver on this promise will depend largely on the availability of skilled labour. The NZT and NEP projects alone are expected to generate thousands of jobs, not just in engineering but across a wide array of ancillary sectors. Yet, without a concerted effort to upskill the local workforce, there is a risk that these opportunities could bypass the very communities they are intended to uplift.

This is where initiatives like the immersive training rig could prove transformative. By aligning educational resources with the specific needs of industry, Teesside is not only addressing its immediate labour shortages but also laying the groundwork for a more resilient and inclusive economy. The ripple effects of such investments are likely to be felt far beyond the confines of the engineering construction sector, as a more skilled workforce contributes to higher productivity, greater innovation, and improved social mobility across the region.

The challenges, of course, are not insubstantial. Building a talent pipeline of this magnitude requires sustained collaboration between government bodies, industry stakeholders, and educational institutions. It also demands a cultural shift, one that elevates the perception of vocational training and apprenticeships as viable—and indeed desirable—pathways to career success.

Yet, there is reason for optimism. The scale and ambition of the investments being made in Teesside suggest a region that is not only ready to meet these challenges head-on but also eager to redefine what is possible when public and private sectors work in harmony. The immersive training rig, with its promise of experiential learning and industry alignment, is a powerful symbol of this new era of collaboration.

As the January 2026 opening of NETA Training’s Thornaby base draws closer, all eyes will be on Teesside to see whether it can deliver on its bold vision. If successful, the region could well serve as a blueprint for other parts of the UK grappling with similar workforce challenges. More importantly, it could offer a glimpse of a future where industrial growth and social equity go hand in hand—a future where no one is left behind in the race towards progress.

In the end, the story of Teesside’s training rig is not just about welding or pipefitting; it is about the power of foresight and the courage to invest in people. And in a world increasingly defined by uncertainty, that may be the most valuable skill of all.