INCLUSIVITY PILOT IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, SOUTH TYNESIDE (IPAM-ST)
IPAM-ST will assist South Tyneside residents, who are unemployed or NEET, to access a vocational skills pathway leading to employment in Advanced Manufacturing.

The Inclusivity Pilot in Advanced Manufacturing, South Tyneside (IPAM-ST), supported by South Tyneside’s UKSPF programme will assist South Tyneside residents, who are economically inactive, unemployed, or not in education.
IPAM-ST will support South Tyneside residents to access a vocational skills pathway, leading to employment in the advanced manufacturing sector, with the aim of at least 60 people gaining high quality jobs by April 2025.
The NEAA's role
The NEAA’s operational role will include leading and managing staff employed on the pilot in pursuit of its objectives and policies, working closely with other bodies to develop and promote the programme to SMEs and promoting the objectives, actions and achievements to wider stakeholders both regionally and nationally.
Industry need
The pilot will have a strong employer focus, enabling SMEs, of all sizes, to identify their technical skill requirements and access high quality technical skills development for their current and future workforce.
This innovative approach seeks to be self-sustaining and support equivalent best-practice pathways in other sectors, including construction and health. Unemployment and economic inactivity are acute issues in South Tyneside, disproportionately impacting residents and constraining the local economy.
The project will see an aligned approach to enable those from under-represented and disadvantaged groups to develop the skills needed and provide the support required to remove barriers to access good jobs and careers.
Working together
This pilot will seek to address the challenges presented by a long-term cycle of unemployment and economic inactivity and will provide residents with assistance to access jobs with local employers, through the NEAA’s links with member organisations.
Local agencies such as DWP and South Tyneside Works will be key partners in this project and integral to its success.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit: UK Shared Prosperity Fund: prospectus
Ways to support
The NEAA has launched the Employer Engagement stage of this innovative project.
- Preliminary research, completed during Stage 1 of IPAM-ST, identified a complex relationship between unemployed South Tyneside residents and employers. Despite high levels of unemployment and economic inactivity, employers report that it can be difficult to fill available manufacturing operator jobs with local people.
- In Stage 3 of the project, Positive About Inclusion’s Directors Lucy Malarkey and Karen Faulkner will engage with local Advanced Manufacturing employers to hear their perspectives and collaboratively identify solutions and interventions to overcome the barriers between local residents and Advanced Manufacturing jobs.
- For more information, or to be part of this employer engagement stage, please email hello@positiveaboutinclusion.com
GET IN TOUCH
To find out more about this pilot, get in touch with the NEAA team:
T: 0191 516 4400
E: enquiries@northeastautomotivealliance.com