The Official Opening of The Work Place
After 15 years’ hard work on the part of Jane Ritchie, who used most of the £9m she inherited from a cousin to set up the centre offering work related learning opportunities to young people, The Work Place was officially opened on Friday 27 March 2009.
A number of key speakers in the education sector helped celebrate the creation of this unique centre including Margaret Fay, Chairman of One NorthEast and George Garlick, Chief Executive of Durham County Council, who unveiled The Work Place window.
A short ceremony followed by afternoon tea and an opportunity to tour the building gave the opportunity to show off the fabulous facilities and advertise the great opportunities that the centre can be used for.
The Work Place has been designed to be a hub for work-related learning for the North East and North Yorkshire.
Jane remarked “Now that The Work Place is up and running we are looking to develop a programme of learning with the help of volunteers from a broad range of sectors including paramedics, construction workers, engineers, scientists to help bring careers to life.
She added “The whole philosophy behind The Work Place is to encourage young people to think, and to inspire them to achieve their full potential by learning skills and attitudes needed for work.
Nearly 150 guests turned up for the event, made up of local employers, sponsors, students and teachers from County Durham & Darlington schools.