North East training provider appoints two new senior leaders to support change and growth

North East training provider, Access Training, which was recently acquired by The University of Sunderland, has appointed two new directors to support it through an expected period of significant growth.

Gateshead-based Access Training, which employs 31 people, has welcomed Tim Pain and Andrea Walters to their senior management team.

The directorships will be undertaken alongside their roles at The University of Sunderland where Tim is director of innovation & skills and Andrea is chief operating officer.

They will work with Access Training’s managing director, David Armstrong, and director of training, Sharon Wallace, on strategic planning for the business and as conduits between the firm and the University.

Tim has been with The University of Sunderland for almost 12 years and brings a wealth of senior and board experience in economic development, business engagement and change management, to the role. His previous positions include head of business and enterprise skills at regional development agency, One North East, and as an independent business consultant who worked on the development of an Enterprise and Innovation Strategy for the city of Sunderland.

Andrea has extensive senior leadership experience gained in both private and public sector organisations and significant experience of leading large-scale organisational change, particularly within the higher education sector. This includes developing and leading cultural, structural and operating model transformations.

Access Training managing director, David Armstrong, comments: “Having Tim and Andrea on our senior management team will have a profound positive impact on the company going forward.

“They bring strengths in commercial and funded contracts and the wider education landscape as well as HR, legal, governance and operations expertise. All of which will help us to navigate our way through the change and expansion anticipated, following our buy-out by the University.”

Tim Pain said: “We see this as a really exciting partnership that will enable us to provide a much wider offer to employers in the region and beyond.”

Andrea Walters, adds: “We’re very much looking forward to working with Access Training to build on their outstanding achievements to date.”

Gateshead-based Access Training provides upskilling courses and apprenticeships in HR, project management, team leading and management, accountancy, business administration, learning & skills teaching, and fire, emergency & security systems.

The University of Sunderland has been a major player in a number of recent skills programmes across the North East of England, all of which have been focussed on developing the regional workforce. The acquisition of Access Training allows it to deliver a broader range of programmes, support greater access to apprenticeships and other training routes, and provide alternative pathways to higher education.