Business IQ Awards

South West Durham Training celebrates top training and skills award at prestigious event

South West Durham Training (SWDT) is proud to have been named the Training and Skills Award winner at The Northern Echo’s BusinessIQ Awards 2025.

The prestigious event, held in association with Amazon and supported by key regional sponsors, took place at a ceremony at Wynyard Hall recognising the North-East’s most inspiring businesses and leaders for their innovation, resilience and community spirit

Based on the Aycliffe Business Park in Newton Aycliffe, and part of the Bishop Auckland College Group, SWDT plays a vital role in supporting students to forge successful careers in the multifaceted fields of engineering and plumbing.

The organisation also works closely with employers across the region, providing apprenticeships and commercial training to upskill their workforce and drive business growth.

Kirsty Lewton, Senior Business Development Adviser at SWDT, who collected the award, said: “I am extremely proud. I was honoured to receive the award on behalf of the SWDT team and Bishop Auckland College Group.

"Having worked at SWDT for nearly two years, I have been fortunate enough to work alongside some really dedicated colleagues. We all want the same results, and that is for our students to succeed and progress onto careers within engineering and plumbing.”

The past two years have seen remarkable growth for SWDT, with a 100 per cent increase in full-time enrolments and a 30 per cent rise in apprenticeship numbers since the start of the 2024 academic year.

This success is helped by significant investments in cutting-edge machinery and technology, the recruitment of additional dedicated staff and a curriculum aligned with the evolving demands of industry.

SWDT has also strengthened community engagement efforts, with stronger partnerships with local primary and secondary schools to develop a talent pipeline for the workforce of the future.

Judges also heard how a notable initiative, spearheaded through funding from the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF), saw SWDT deliver engaging STEM activities for young children across the region.

This included the development of an engaging children’s book, Engineering Your Future, and the creation of a popular life-size mascot, Bolt the Engineer. SWDT’s business development team has since delivered numerous fun and educational STEM sessions at primary schools in local and surrounding areas.

Kirsty said: “Significant investments in machinery and technology and additional staff have ensured that our students are being taught a curriculum that is keeping in line with industry requirements.

"An increase in community engagement, such as attending careers fairs, networking events and engaging in community projects through collaborations, such as the NE LSIF project, Aspire, and the Knife Angel project, has helped to enhance our presence across the region.

"It is very important that training providers like ours are recognised by employers, parents and students. Reputation is key and since its opening in 1967, SWDT has seen significant expansion over the years to ensure that we are able to provide students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required in industry.

"Employers are more likely to recruit an apprentice from SWDT based on our recommendations, trusting that our provision provides our learners with the foundations required to be a future engineer or plumber. This helps with business growth and ensuring a future talent pipeline."

The Training and Skills Award win at the BusinessIQ Awards 2025 highlights SWDT’s commitment to providing high-quality education and skills development, playing a crucial role in shaping the future workforce of County Durham and beyond.

BusinessIQ editor Mike Hughes said: “We worked so hard to secure partners like Amazon and Wynyard Hall to make sure this event was something special. To see it all come together so well, and more than 250 of the region’s most influential business people so energised by the occasion and so ready to celebrate what is going on here was genuinely inspiring.”