CATCH and Healing Academy Lead the Way in Technical Education

This September CATCH will welcome the first cohort of Year 10 students onto a pioneering engineering programme that combines core academic study with real-world technical education, employer engagement and direct exposure to careers in industry.

Two cohorts of 14 students will attend CATCH over a two-year period to complete a Level 2 Engineering qualification alongside their studies at Healing Academy.

They will get hands-on experience operating process plant equipment, learning industry-standard health and safety practices, and working on real engineering challenges.

They will also design solutions to engineering problems before prototyping, building and installing their projects using mechanical, process and electrical engineering skills.

The launch comes just days after Andy Burnham unveiled reforms designed to give technical education equal status to traditional academic routes, enabling students aged 14 and above to study technical subjects linked to employment opportunities in their local area.

The idea behind the programme was developed long before the national announcement, responding to concerns that many young people with an interest in engineering struggle to access meaningful technical learning opportunities while at school.

CATCH developed the new programme to bridge that gap by creating an authentic engineering experience within a world-class industrial training environment.

Bob Padley, Head of Process and Maintenance at CATCH, said:

“When the Prime Minister spoke about creating technical pathways for young people from the age of 14, it immediately resonated with what we've been building here at CATCH.

 

“The reality is that many young people know they want a technical career long before they leave school, but too often they struggle to access learning that reflects the opportunities available in industry.

 

“This programme changes that. Students won't be learning about engineering from a textbook or building bird boxes. They'll be operating process plant equipment, solving engineering challenges, building prototypes and working in an environment that mirrors the workplaces they may eventually join.

 

“For us, this is about creating a genuine talent pipeline, from Year 10 through apprenticeships and higher-level qualifications, while helping employers engage with future talent much earlier.”

Healing Academy is one of seven school and college partners working with CATCH across the Humber and Lincolnshire region. Since September 2025 the partnership has continued to grow through a shared commitment to helping young people understand and access careers in engineering and manufacturing.

Throughout the past academic year, Healing Academy students have participated in a range of CATCH led experiences, including:

• industry work experience placements delivered in partnership with Puragen and Lenzing
• trade taster days covering welding, pipefitting, process operations, and mechanical and electrical engineering, sponsored by the Humber Energy Board
• activity days in partnership with IChemE
• Women in Welding events
• site tours designed to showcase the breadth of opportunities available within industry

The partnership is already producing positive outcomes. Current Year 2 apprentices training at CATCH include former Healing Academy students, while six additional students from the school have secured apprenticeship opportunities and are due to begin this September.

Working closely with Steve Hoey, Careers Lead at Healing Academy, and colleagues across the school, the new programme has been carefully designed to ensure students understand the value and significance of the opportunity and the progression routes available to them.

Stephen Logan, Principal at Healing Academy, said:

“Following the Prime Minister's announcement of comprehensive technical education reforms across England, Healing Academy is proud to be at the forefront of this national shift.

 

“By partnering with a world-class organisation in CATCH, we are giving our Year 10 students the exact opportunity championed by these reforms: studying local, industry-linked technical subjects directly alongside their core academic learning.

 

“Fully embedded into our curriculum and timetable, this pathway equips our young people with practical skills, opens direct routes into high-value apprenticeships, and addresses critical regional skill gaps in North East Lincolnshire.”