The Team Plymouth partnership is rightly ambitious about harnessing the city and region’s capabilities. As a partner, PASD Freeport is focused on increasing capabilities across marine, defence, manufacturing, and net-zero sectors, driving innovation, and creating high-quality jobs.
This inspiring, long-term vision must be supported by a strong pipeline of skilled people. That is where City College Plymouth plays a pivotal role, turning ambition into action by building talent pipelines through Apprenticeships, further education, and technical education. These pathways are central to delivering the region’s workforce capacity and securing a thriving future for young people, employers, and the wider community.
Growth industries: wWhat is the scale of opportunity in Plymouth and South Devon?
Marine, defence and advanced manufacturing
Plymouth is more than a historical maritime city. It is home to Europe’s largest naval base, Devonport, and the city plays a central role in the UK’s national security through submarine delivery programmes, maintenance and naval capability. Under the Defence Growth Deal, Plymouth was designated a National Defence Growth Area, one of only five in the UK, and the only city to receive that status. This unveils both prestige and resources such as the MoD committing £4.4 billion over the coming years toward naval infrastructure.
“The future of our region is bright and it will be built through meaningful collaborations. By connecting our sector clusters, industry partners and education providers, we’re creating the conditions for something extraordinary: a shared skills ecosystem that powers innovation in marine, defence, advanced manufacturing and green energy, and gives local people the opportunity to thrive in world-class industries.”
Richard May, CEO, Plymouth and South Devon Freeport
Organisations within the Freeport‘s tax sites aim to generate over 3,500 jobs in the marine and advanced sectors. Moreover, Team Plymouth estimates delivering social value impact that equates to 8,000 new jobs by 2035, 5,000 people gaining their first qualifications and lifting 3,000 people out of poverty.
To help reach these goals, collaborative learning academies have been set up between City College Plymouth and major local employers to facilitate talent pipelines through Apprenticeship schemes, and joint training ventures to fill emerging capability gaps.
Green energy, net zero and marine innovation
Our region’s green economy is accelerating fast and City College Plymouth is helping to power it. As the first college in the South West to declare a climate emergency, City College Plymouth has made sustainability central to its mission, embedding net-zero skills and green innovation across every part of its curriculum.
Through its expanding Green Skills Centre, the College is training the workforce of the future in solar energy, electric vehicle maintenance, hydrogen systems and battery storage ensuring students can apply their learning directly within the region’s growing clean-tech industries.
City College Plymouth also plays a leading role in the Plymouth Green Skills Board and NetZero Partnership, helping shape the city’s strategy for sustainable construction, clean mobility and the circular economy. It is also working closely with the Floating Offshore Wind Accelerator (FLOW) to prepare students for careers in the Celtic Sea offshore wind supply chain. Together, these initiatives are creating a skilled, future-ready workforce, one that will keep Plymouth and South Devon at the forefront of the UK’s blue-green industrial growth.
The retention imperative to keep young people in the region
Regional growth is meaningless if our local young people can’t access it. The challenge is not only to attract inward talent, but to retain the next generation of engineers, technicians, and innovators here in the region. Plymouth’s existing strengths create a compelling proposition. But many young people still feel they must leave to find high-end, well paid, meaningful opportunities. Through a wide range of Apprenticeship and further education programmes, local businesses can offer a direct route to high-quality local careers, rather than forcing relocation. Taken together, we see a powerful wave of industrial growth that demands both scale (thousands of jobs) and specificity (skills in autonomy, green engineering, defence systems) and that demand cannot be met passively.
City College Plymouth as a strategic partner to the region
City College Plymouth is proud to stand alongside PASD Freeport, actively contributing to the region’s ambitious vision for innovation, skills development and sustainable growth. With a broad educational reach across the South West, the College delivers advanced technical training, Apprenticeships and higher education to thousands of students each year. Apprenticeships form a vital part of the College’s skills offer, providing valuable hands-on experience while enabling students to gain qualifications that align with employer needs.
Working in close partnership with regional businesses, the College designs and delivers Apprenticeship programmes that respond directly to industry demand. Employers play a key role in shaping these courses, particularly in sectors such as marine, defence, engineering and clean energy. This collaboration not only supports the recruitment and retention of local talent but also ensures that businesses across the Freeport benefit from a highly skilled, future-ready workforce. It has also helped the College establish a strong reputation for collaboration and positive regional impact.
City College Plymouth’s Chief Executive, Jackie Grubb, said: “We are proud to play a key role in developing the skills that will drive our region forward. By working closely with the Freeport and our partners, we are creating opportunities that change lives, equip people for the jobs of the future and strengthen the regional economy.”
Looking ahead, the College is strengthening its offer with new courses in digital technologies, green skills and advanced manufacturing, building a workforce that is agile, innovative and equipped to drive regional growth. The College also remains a driving force behind Plymouth’s transformative regeneration, helping to redefine the city’s centre. Central to this vision is the Blue-Green Skills Hub, a pioneering facility that will position Plymouth as a leader in innovation and skills development. Delivered in partnership with Plymouth City Council and Homes England as part of the Civic Centre regeneration, the Hub will create a state-of-the-art education and training venue in the heart of the city.
Why should industry leaders prioritise Apprenticeships and further education collaborations with City College Plymouth?
For employers across Plymouth and South Devon, Apprenticeships aren’t just a way to fill vacancies, they’re a route to long-term resilience, innovation and sustainable growth. By working with City College Plymouth, businesses can shape the next generation of talent while strengthening the region’s industrial ecosystem.
- Access to a pipeline of skills: City College Plymouth cultivates work-ready talent informed by the needs of local industries, enabling employers to recruit individuals who already have the technical expertise and hands-on experience to contribute from the first day.
- Support for growth: through collaboration with the College, businesses benefit from access to cutting-edge facilities, applied research and specialist expertise that fuel innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen their competitive edge.
- Long-term resilience: Apprenticeships help maintain a sustainable pool of talent, bridging skills gaps and helping with succession planning across a wide range of sectors.
- Better together: through a genuinely collaborative approach, employers can help design Apprenticeships that precisely reflect the unique challenges, technologies and opportunities within their sector.
- Positive social impact: social mobility and inclusive growth is achieved by creating high quality, local jobs, raising hopes and aspirations and contributing to the sustained prosperity of the wider South West community.
- A powerful network: as a strategic partner of the PASD Freeport, the College links employers to a dynamic regional network of innovation, investment and growth.
To discuss how the College can support your business, call the Employer Solutions team on 01752 305026 or email employers@cityplym.ac.uk.