Welcome to SkillED Innovation

Our employer-advised, skills-centred curriculum helps your child build a skills passport, a record of the essential abilities they develop over time to prepare for the world of work.

Through practical projects and employer-informed activities, your child will gain confidence and evidence in essential skills needed in the workforce of tomorrow. These are transferable skills that open doors into construction, automotive, green technologies, health and social care, and many other vocational pathways.

How we work…

A diagram illustrating the collaboration of schools, parents, community, employers, local colleges, and students within SkillED Innovation Durham, with icons representing each group and descriptions of their roles in supporting children's education and success.

What Your Child Will Learn at SkillED Innovation

Every part of our programme is designed to help your child grow in confidence, develop real-world abilities and feel excited about what comes next. As they progress, they build their skills passport, a record of the abilities and experiences they can take forward into college, apprenticeships and work.

Here’s what they’ll gain with us:

  • Through practical, hands-on projects across different trades and sectors, they will build strong skill fundamentals.

  • Teamwork, communication, reliability, interview practice, and CV basics, everything employers value.

  • A positive mindset, emotional wellbeing and the ability to handle setbacks with self-belief.

  • Honest, supportive guidance on pathways into college, apprenticeships, or direct employment, helping young people develop a clear sense of direction. In addition, we continue to offer mentoring after they leave us, supporting them as they find their feet in their next steps.

With SkillED Innovation, your child will leave not only with new skills, but with a clearer pathway to their future.

A digital badge with a medal icon at the top, bronze color, for completing a 12-week skilled innovation pathway program, featuring motivational quote at the bottom.

What your child will achieve as well as gaining a skills passport…

Flyer for a professional development program titled 'Silver - Skilled Innovation Achiever,' lasting 24 weeks. It includes a medal graphic at the top, a motivational quote at the bottom, and information about gaining industry skills, launching a portfolio, and securing a future pathway.
Yellow medal with black outline and yellow ribbon displayed above dark green background. Text details a 'Gold - Skilled Innovation Pioneer' program, lasting 36 weeks, focusing on workplace readiness, skills development with industry mentors, and confidence building, ending with a quote about champions from Muhammad Ali.

These are examples of sectors and roles that SkillED Innovation will prepare your child for…

A circular infographic illustrating vocational sectors and job roles, with four sections and eight corresponding job categories listed around it. The sections include Health & Social Care, Engineering & Manufacturing, Automotive, and Hair & Beauty, each with specific job roles listed. The center features a logo for SkillED INNOVATION D URHAM.
Circular infographic showing vocational sectors and job roles at SkillED Durham. The sectors include Retail & Customer Service (orange), Creative Arts & Media (blue), Land-Based / Environmental (purple), Business & Administration (red), IT & Digital (light blue), and Logistics & Warehousing (yellow). Each sector has specific job roles listed underneath.

Example timetable…

A weekly timetable for SkillED Innovation Durham, with scheduled activities from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, including activities like vocational skills, teamwork, theory lessons, projects, lunch, skill development, practical tasks, and home time, alongside notes about the program structure and flexibility.

 FAQs

  • SkillED Innovation is a programme designed to help young people develop practical skills and get ready for further education, apprenticeships, or work. We focus on hands-on learning, personal development, and career preparation.

  • Our programme is for anyone who may be struggling or has struggled in the past with traditional school and may need extra support to stay engaged with learning. We work with students who are at risk of leaving education or who would benefit from a more practical approach.

  • Your child will learn:

    • Practical and emotional intelligence skills

    • Fundamental vocational skills

    • Important personal skills like teamwork, communication, and emotional intelligence.

    • How to prepare for work, apprenticeships, or further education.

    • Alternative career options and how to take the next steps in their journey.

  • Our programme is focused on practical learning and preparing students for life after school. We offer a different style of education, with more focus on skills, emotional intelligence and real-world applications, while still supporting academic progress.

  • We meet all the standards set by local councils, the Department for Education (DfE), and Ofsted. Our staff are experienced, fully trained and have passed enhanced DBS checks. We also have two Designated Safeguarding Leads.

  • Yes, our programme works alongside mainstream education. We often partner with schools to support individual students.

  • You can get in touch with us for a chat, attend an open day, or visit our website for more information. We’re happy to answer any questions you have.

    Contact Us
    If you’d like to know more or discuss enrolling your child, here’s how to reach us:

    • Email: info@skilled-innovation.com

    • Phone: 01913 545 031