A SOUTH TYNESIDE training business which helps upskill thousands of construction, renewables and utility professionals every year is entering an exciting new chapter.
Simply Learning, which was last year acquired by national facilities management company, UK National, has invested over £1,000,000 into the expansion of its head office and two training centres in Jarrow.
The move will allow the company – which delivers over 200 training courses ranging from health and safety to plumbing and manual handling – to introduce new courses, increase its headcount and training capacity and strengthen ties with local employers.
A previously mothballed office building on the site will also be turned into a new regional office for UK National, providing the national facilities specialist with a new base to house its engineers and staff as it continues to expand its footprint across the North of England and Scotland.
“Since we acquired Simply Learning 18 months ago, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to get the business in a position where it can really scale and realise its full potential, and this investment is a culmination of both of those things,” said Sonny Parker, managing director of UK National.
“Thousands of people every year tap into the fantastic training provided by the Simply Learning team, be it those entering the workforce or existing employees working for our private and public sector clients, and this expansion will allow us to further strengthen its offering.
“It will provide us with the space required to deliver more training, create more jobs and ultimately, help plug the skills gap which is currently a major barrier to growth for businesses across the UK’s construction, renewables and utilities sectors. It will be key to ensuring we continue to have the skilled people required to drive these sectors forward, now and in the future.”
The investment follows the appointment of Simply Learning managing director, Claire Irving, who joined the company in January 2025.
Responsible for driving business growth, Claire played a key role in devising the plans for the refurbishment of the company’s head office and training centres and believes the move marks ‘an exciting new chapter’ for the firm.
She said: “According to the latest findings from the CITB, the UK needs over 250,000 extra construction workers by 2028 to meet current levels of demand.
“Add to that the workers required in the supply chain and in fields such as engineering, renewables and utilities and the need for skilled staff becomes even more stark.
“That is why it’s pivotal that we continue investing in not only attracting new people into the workforce, but also upskilling existing workers, and this is where organisations like ours really come to the fore.
“Over the past 20 or so years, we’ve helped upskill tens of thousands of people and thanks to this significant backing from UK National, there is no reason why we can’t further build on this as we look to the future. It marks an exciting new chapter for both businesses, and I couldn’t be happier to be taking on this exciting new challenge.”
UK National has also received support from South Tyneside Council, which has worked closely with the business on its proposals. A South Tyneside Business Growth Grant was awarded towards the redevelopment of the site, funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Councillor Margaret Meling, lead member for economic growth and transport at South Tyneside Council, added: “This is fantastic news for South Tyneside.
“Not only will this investment breathe new life into a disused building, but it will also provide opportunities for local people to gain new skills and secure high-quality jobs.
“We’re proud to have been able to support the project and look forward to seeing the company continue to grow over the coming months and years.”
A number of South Tyneside businesses benefitted from the South Tyneside Business Growth Grant Scheme which was funded by South Tyneside Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2024 allocations including Metec, Red Stamp Productions, 3Sixty3pl, JC Events and Stellar Engineering.
For more information on South Tyneside as a place to do business, visit: https://investsouthtyneside.com/