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Press Release

Digital Catapult and educational charity EDT sign long term partnership to empower young people across the North East

Posted 18 Jul 2025

Educational charity EDT has joined forces with Digital Catapult, a deep tech innovation organisation, to empower young people across the North East with vital skills for the future workplace.

Young people in the region face unique challenges when it comes to accessing equal opportunities, stemming from the lasting impact of deindustrialisation, limited access to high-quality jobs and a growing skills gap. This new partnership aims to tackle those barriers head-on by delivering dynamic, hands-on STEM experiences and building strong connections with local employers.

Backed by Digital Catapult, EDT will lead a three-year deep tech outreach programme, centred around its nationally recognised Industrial Cadets pathway. Designed to inspire and upskill, the initiative will offer students across the North East access to interactive learning through technologies including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and webCAD, with exposure to cutting-edge, deep tech careers and valuable employer engagement.

The first phase will launch with a series of Industrial Cadets Challenger Experience Days, targeting secondary schools across several boroughs including Newcastle, Sunderland and Northumberland. These highly interactive events aim to ignite curiosity in subjects such as maths, engineering, digital tech, and science, bringing them to life through engaging, hands-on activities and showcasing real-world applications such as Digital Catapult’s Advanced Media Production Studios in Gateshead.

For more information on EDT and the programmes available, visit www.etrust.org.uk

We’re thrilled to partner with Digital Catapult on this exciting initiative to empower young people across the North East. At EDT, we believe that real-world experiences and employer engagement are key to building work-readiness skills and confidence in students. Through our Industrial Cadets programmes, we’re opening doors to future careers in immersive and digital technologies, helping young people see what’s possible and inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals.

This collaboration marks a significant step towards addressing regional disparities in access to STEM careers, ensuring that every young person, regardless of their background has the opportunity to thrive in tomorrow’s digital economy.
Julie Feest CEO of EDT and Industrial Cadets

Developing key skills and exploring what’s possible with deep tech opens a myriad of career opportunities for young people to be future ready, while helping develop an understanding of how to solve what matters most to them, from climate change to the responsible development of commonplace tech such as Generative AI.

We’ve been working with innovative companies and business leaders across the North East for over ten years, supporting the practical application of advanced technology into industry and we’re looking forward to bringing that real-world experience into the classroom.
Susan Bowen CEO, Digital Catapult