Boost for city's businesses as Newcastle College Enterprise Hub set to launch

A new enterprise space is set to open its doors in Newcastle next month.

Newcastle College will open a new Enterprise Hub in September offering local businesses and entrepreneurs a flexible working space and help to support the development of new talent, while providing a collaborative space for students and business to thrive in.

North East businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and agencies will be invited to sign up to access the Enterprise Hub, located on Newcastle College’s city-centre campus.

The Enterprise Hub also provides alternative city-centre office space for local businesses that don’t have a permanent office space.

With around 85 per cent of working adults currently homeworking hoping to have access a hybrid approach to the workplace, the Enterprise Hub can support businesses to facilitate this, whilst removing the costs of rent, insurance, and council tax for business owners.

Grant Glendinning, executive principal of NCG North said: “The Enterprise Hub is a key part of our wider 10-year Strategy which is heavily focused on partnerships and industry links.

“We have thousands of talented students at Newcastle College and we know that tangible links between education and industry helps to contextualise the learning of our students and support them onto their next steps.

“This is as much a resource for the region’s businesses who may need the support right now to access a working space, as it is for our students who will get to see real businesses in action and learn directly from them.

“Whilst homeworking has its benefits, we know that office culture is of huge importance to many people.

“We hope that this supports those who want to return to a physical workplace to do so, whilst also giving businesses and staff more options around flexible and collaborative working.”

Businesses in residence at the Enterprise Hub will be asked to dedicate time to support and mentor Newcastle College students and help them to gain real work experience and business skills, supporting the College’s goal to build a relevant and skilled workforce for the future.

In turn, Enterprise Hub members will benefit from fresh perspectives and new ideas from students, access to facilities including training rooms and breakout space, as well as the opportunity to access training opportunities and advice on apprenticeships and recruitment.