New Education And Skills Training Academy In Bolton Launched

Leading North West Alternative Education provider, Navigators, has opened a brand new Navigators Education Skills and Training Academy (NESTA) centre in Bolton, designed to empower young people from Bolton and surrounding areas with the skills and confidence they need to thrive in adulthood.

The new facility at North Bolton Business Park has been completely transformed into a state of the art learning hub for young people aged 14-25, offering vocational qualifications, real-world experience and vital preparation for adulthood.  

The NESTA centre offers a safe and supportive space for learners to develop essential life skills, helping them transition confidently into the four key Preparation For Adulthood themes: Employment, Independent Living, Health, and Friends, Family and Community. The vocational curriculum will support the employability theme by offering a range of courses in construction, gym and fitness, vehicle maintenance and hair and barbering.

First established in 2014, Navigators is the leading Alternative Education provider in the North West, offering a unique programme of individualised learning to young people. Navigators deliver bespoke programmes providing a specialist, stable environment for learning that prioritises their individual skills, needs and interests. Through this approach, the organisation has delivered exceptional results in engaging some of the most hard-to-reach young people in education. During the first half of the Spring term the average attendance reached 77%, rising from an average starting point of just 13.9% – a transformational increase of 63.1%. Many of these young people had previously recorded 0% attendance before receiving Navigators’ support. 

The launch of NESTA marks a major milestone for Navigators in its mission to support young people across all of the North West providing tailored, local support to more young people in the region, with a strong focus on reducing the number of young people not in education employment or training (NEET). It follows the launch of its Wythenshawe Hub last year, designed to accommodate a growing demand for services in the area. 

Anthony Thompson, Founder and CEO of Navigators said: 

“We are thrilled that we have opened our first NESTA centre in Bolton. Our ambition is for this learning centre to be central to the local community – it will bring together young people and employers and will be our first centre completely dedicated to employment focused training and pathways. We have already established some fantastic partnerships with local businesses and are excited to see how NESTA thrives in Bolton. We are delighted to welcome our first students, to help them gain the skills and confidence they need to thrive in adulthood, from entering the workforce to living independently.” 

The NESTA centre has the capacity to support approximately 80 students. For more information about Navigators and the services it offers, or to speak to a member of the team.

The NESTA centre is located at Unit 12, North Bolton Business Park, Rossini Street, BL1 8DL.