South Tyneside College

South Tyneside College is a further education college based in the seaside town of South Shields, South Tyneside, North East. It is also home to the world famous South Shields Marine School.

Established in 1861 as a Marine School, the college has changed dramatically over the years to meet the evolving needs of both the local and regional community and also the maritime industry.

Based in North East England, South Tyneside College offers further education to 16-18 year olds, higher education, apprenticeships, part-time professional courses, adult learning opportunities and training for employers.

South Shields Marine Schools provides maritime training for all levels of maritime education and training from deck, engine and ET Rating, maritime apprenticeships, all officer trainee programmes through to senior officer certification and up to an honour degree level. An extensive range of short courses for the marine, offshore and leisure markets are also offered.

The college has invested heavily in facilities over the last few years, particularly in the re-development of its Westoe based campus in South Shields. Facilities include:

• Top to Toe – hairdressing and beauty therapy salon
• Bistro 150 – training kitchen and training restaurant
• Lifestyle Centre – gym
• Learning Resource Centre (LRC)
• Eat – the college’s main rectory
• Two Costa Coffee outlets
• Music rehearsal and recording studios (sound proofed)
• Art and design studios
• Full equipped construction and engineering workshops / laboratories
• ICT suites
• Maritime Simulation Centre - the most advanced navigational bridge and engine simulators available in the market today
• Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Simulation suites - fully integrated into both the Marine Simulation Centre and the Port Operations Unit Simulation Systems.

The college also operates from two other sites:

• Marine Safety Training Centre (MSTC) - situated on the riverside at South Shields, the centre has extensive facilities which have been developed to provide the most realistic training environment possible.

-8-seater helicopter escape module, capable of being used to simulate dry, wet and capsize situations -Helicopter winching arrangements -Davit-launched life raft equipment -A range of marine and aviation life rafts -Survival suits, life jackets and associated survival equipment -Offshore platform transfer simulator -A Jetty providing mooring -Seamanship area, equipped with a wide range of shipboard equipment and models of ships’ structures and devices.

• Fire Training Centre - located alongside the Marine Safety Training Centre (MSTC) the fire ground is fully equipped to provide training to the marine and offshore industries. Facilities include:

-Full-size smoke chamber and mock ups of ship/offshore structures -Fixed fire fighting installations -Full range of operational extinguishers, hoses, nozzles etc. -Comprehensive range of breathing apparatus -Range of fire props for setting realistic scenarios.

• Motor Vehicle Centre (Jarrow) – based in Jarrow, South Tyneside, the centre provides specialist motor vehicle / cycle training.