SkillsActive Playwork North East

Facts and figures

From the Playwork People 3 survey in 2007, research into the region’s play workforce revealed that:

• In the North East 90.1% of the playwork profession are women. 
• The average hourly salary reported by playwork employees is £7.50.  This is lower than that reported for England as a whole (£7.70)
• Over a third of playwork employers are experiencing a skills gap in their current workforce (38.8%). 
• Over one third of playworkers (36.1%) received between one and three days training in the last 12 months. 
• The majority of organisations (28.9%) spent between £100 and £499 on training in the past 12 months. 
• 11.8% of playwork organisations did not spend anything on training at all.

Working in the North East region

The North East Centre for Playwork Education and Training (NECPET) works with playworkers, training providers, playwork employers and development organisations throughout the North East of England, covering local authority areas Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, County Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesborough, Stockton, and Redcar and Cleveland. 

The centre, established in 1991, is hosted by Northumbria University and based at Coach Lane Campus, Newcastle upon Tyne.  It is managed by a committee with representation from a range of organisations who also provide a strong support network.  SkillsActive contract NEPCET to carry out a programme of work, relating to national and regional priorities, developed from the UK wide strategy for Playwork Education and Training – ‘Quality Training, Quality Play’ (2006).

NECPET provides information and advice about playwork qualifications and training available in the North East which includes courses at further and higher education levels and the playwork Scottish/National Vocational Qualification (S/NVQ), and support for training providers wanting to sign up to the SkillsActive code of practice, the register of trainers or want to have their training course endorsed.

Contact

Carol Chilton, Regional Development Officer  (neplay@skillsactive.com)

• North East Centre for Playwork Education and Training
  Northumbria University
  Coach Lane Campus
  Newcastle upon Tyne
  NE7 7XA
• Tel: 0191 2156208

Phil Graham, Administrator (phil.graham@unn.ac.uk)

• Tel: 0191 2156279