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A celebration of careers guidance in the North East this National Careers Week

Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East LEP, shares her thoughts on the importance of quality careers education in schools and colleges – something the North East LEP has been championing in our region through North East Ambition.

Good careers guidance has the power to change lives. It transforms students’ futures, from better attainment in school to social mobility, with broader horizons and raised aspirations. It can help improve outcomes for all young people, regardless of their starting points or backgrounds.

As we mark the start of National Careers Week 2024, I am proud to reflect on, and celebrate, the amazing careers guidance work happening right across our region, and the important role it has in helping young people prepare for the world of work.

Often, it can be the case that the amount of hard work and effort our schools and colleges put in to prepare their young people through careers education, sadly goes unrecognised.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the incredible skill and dedication of our careers leaders, as without them we would not have made such a vast amount of progress over recent years.

A Landscape of Impact

Today, North East Ambition (NEA) works with more than 190 secondary schools and colleges spanning the seven Local Authorities in the North East. These schools and colleges are achieving an average of 5.2 out of 8 Good Careers Guidance Benchmarks. Considering the Benchmarks only became part of statutory guidance in 2018, that is no mean feat!

In primary education, NEA works closely with 375 schools, pioneering a national pilot to embed careers-related learning, and build careers aspiration and inspiration from an early age.

Recognising the unique challenges faced by SEND students, we’re working with Careers Leads across our region’s SEND schools and together, have developed dedicated projects and resources, working to ensure more employers recognise the value SEND students can bring to their organisations.

When it comes to promoting technical education as a route into a rewarding career, we have led on regional activity to ensure students at school leaving age are informed about traineeships, apprenticeships, T-Levels, further/higher education, and other academic and vocational routes to employment.

For example, the North East is a national leader in the provision of T Levels, which offer a mix of classroom and on the job learning and are the equivalent to three A Levels.  We’ve seen a remarkable 577% growth in T Level learners since 2022 and a 467% increase in T Level industry placement providers across the LEP area. Our role in supporting schools to understand the local post-16 T Level offer is crucial, as is our collaboration with employers to highlight the benefits of offering T Level placements.

Pioneering Initiatives

Careers guidance doesn’t just happen in the classroom, and we are immensely proud of the work we have undertaken with regional partners to ensure that each and every young person can have access to information about the world of work and the opportunities that could be theirs.

Our Enterprise Advisor Network embeds business leaders into secondary schools and colleges to help shape the delivery of careers education and create invaluable connections between education and the business world. More than 200 business leaders are enrolled on the programme, representing a diverse range of industries key to the North East.

We were delighted to lead The Mentoring Project, which was launched last year to help young people involved with the Youth Justice Service (YJS) to raise their aspirations.

The pilot matched a group of YJS young people with employers to provide opportunities to learn about the type of skills and behaviours valued in the workplace and to introduce them to positive employer role models.

Our Teacher Encounters programme provides teachers, both current and trainees, with insights into the local labour market, which they can then use in the classroom to relate curriculum learning to careers.

We recently supported the Young Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network to train young apprentices to visit schools and colleges to share their stories and inspire the next generation with their firsthand experiences.

These initiatives and collaborations are transforming the career trajectories of young people throughout the North East.  Thanks to this work, our young people are now more aware of the career opportunities available across the region, the routes into them, and the skills and expertise employers need.

Going forward and with the continued hard work and dedication of partners and careers leaders, we envisage an even deeper focus on careers education in our region, continuing to build an environment where the understanding of career opportunity and development is seamlessly integrated into the educational fabric. We have already achieved so much and now is the time to continue our important work and ensure all learners can reach their potential.

National Careers Week is a fantastic opportunity to share some of the amazing work taking place across the North East LEP region to educate and inform young people about the career opportunities available to them.  Each day we’ll highlight some of the programmes and initiatives led by the North East LEP, and those by our partners in education and industry, that are helping young people make more informed choices about their future.

Join the conversation on social media using #NCW2021 and visit www.nationalcareersweek.com to discover more.

For more information about North East Ambition, visit www.northeastambition.co.uk

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North East LEP Annual Review 2022-2023 Published

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has published its Annual Review detailing its activities during 2022-2023.

The LEP’s Annual Review highlights key achievements over the last 12 months and explores the new funding and decision-making powers that will be created as part of the North East Devolution Deal.

Particular achievements highlighted in this year’s report include the relaunch of the North East Evidence Hub, which brings together key data and evidence about the region to support decision making and to make evidence more accessible for stakeholders and partners across the region.

The report also describes how independent evaluation has demonstrated that businesses supported by the Growth Hub have achieved a £8.8k turnover per employee improvement and that overall, £292million additional Gross Value Added and 4,435 additional jobs have been added to the economy since 2017.

In Skills, the team has continued to make an impact locally and nationally in delivering the government’s technical education agenda for young people and adults, bringing together key regional stakeholders to develop and deliver a regional Apprentice Ready vision.

The LEP has also launched The North East Commercial Property Investment Fund, managed by FW Capital, this year. The fund provides loans of between £2 to £7 million to support new or refurbished grade A commercial office and industrial space. It is predicted that it will create up to £119 million investment over the next 15 years, creating 5,600 jobs and developing 140,000 sq m of commercial space.

Transport has always been central to the Strategic Economic Plan, lead fiercely by colleagues at Transport North East. The Annual Review details the significant investment that has been secured and released to drive forward the Transport Plan in 2022/23.

Helen Golightly, LEP Chief Executive Officer, said: “This Annual Review is full of activity that is driving forward our mission to deliver the North East Strategic Economic Plan. Our plan has always been to create 100,000 more jobs in the economy, of which 70% are better jobs, between 2014 and 2024 as we strive to create a stronger, greener and more inclusive economy for the region.

“It is currently a time of transition for the LEP following the exciting announcement of the North East Devolution Deal. The Annual Review details our commitment to a strengthened region-wide partnership working with colleagues to play our part in realising this ambitious, historic deal.”

Click here to view the 2022/23 Annual Review.

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Career pathways for shortage roles

A new resource to boost skills in the region’s health and life sciences sector


Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles is a new resource designed to help:

  • Businesses working in the region’s health and life sciences sector address skills shortages for key roles
  • Education and training providers develop industry relevant curriculum
  • The wider industry grow and thrive in the North East.

It has been developed in response to the publication of the North East Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy, which aims to double the number of jobs and businesses in the health and life sciences sector by 2030.


What is Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles?

A free online resource for businesses working in the North East’s health and life sciences sector, Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles outlines the basic and essential skills needed for six key roles where a shortage of appropriately skilled candidates has been identified. The six key roles are:

  • Analytical Chemist
  • Process Engineer
  • Software Engineer
  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • Lab Technician
  • Project Manager.

What help and support can businesses access?

Employers can see the education and training routes available in the region to allow them to grow talent into the six specific roles, including:

Education and training

  • Apprenticeships
  • T Levels
  • Further education.

Uptake of apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications is very low in the health and life sciences sector.

The resource uses existing good practice and occupational maps from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to identify better ways to utilise apprenticeship funding and advancements in technical education to develop talent into the six key shortage roles.

Education contacts and courses

Businesses can access information on local education contacts as well as training and courses relevant to each role.

Case studies

Employers can also read case studies about local employers who have successfully adopted the education and training routes outlined in the resource to increase workforce development.


What support is available for education and training providers?

Insight to develop an industry relevant curriculum

In addition to supporting employers in the region with recruitment challenges, the new resource also provides information on skills shortages in the sector, which education and training providers can use to inform the development of an industry relevant curriculum and inform young people about career pathways into in the sector.


How do I access the resources?

Visit the Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles resource.

Visit the North East Health and Life Sciences Sector Careers Toolkit.

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New report shows impact of COVID-19 on Good Work Agenda in the North East

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Durham University Business School have published a new report looking at how COVID-19, and the introduction of widespread flexible working, has contributed to the Good Work Agenda in the North East.

Researched and written during the coronavirus pandemic, it provides a unique insight into how changing working patterns accelerated employers’ ability to ensure better working practices for their employees, providing better quality and more meaningful work.

The new research supports existing Good Work pledges, charters and toolkits published by organisations including the North of Tyne Combined Authority, Northern Trades Union Congress, and North East England Chamber of Commerce.

Drawing on more than 20 qualitative interviews carried out between January and April 2021, the report includes a set of recommendations to support other businesses in the North East to implement and carry out better working practices for their employees.

Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The unique thing about this research is that it was developed in real time during the pandemic, which was a period of huge change for businesses.

“Almost all organisations were compelled to introduce some form of flexible working, which introduced its own set of challenges for employers and employees. How do you provide a supportive and rewarding working environment when your staff are instructed to work from home by government?”

“What we’ve found is that lots of businesses in the North East have been installing the principles of Good Work as a result of the pandemic. The introduction of remote and hybrid working has helped employers focus on important employee issues, such as work/life balance, flexible working, health and wellbeing, and communication.”

Organisations including AkzoNobel, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Irwin Mitchell LLP and Quorum Business Park took part in the research. Employers discussed how the experience of adapting during the pandemic has introduced better working practices for employees, particularly around areas like flexible working, encouraging a healthy work/life balance, and what the future of work will look like post-pandemic.

Contributors described good work as being more than just having a good job; it was about delivering justice, fairness, transparency, opportunity, balance, enjoyment, and support.

A spokesperson from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “Although we were quite flexible before COVID-19, we have been really flexible during it, and I think it will be about maintaining that and looking at different ways to support people within the various things that they go through in life.”

A spokesperson from AkzoNobel said: “Obviously when you introduce a policy like flexible working, people immediately think it is just for mothers who have children, to allow them to do drop offs. We very much promoted it in that it is not, if you have got a hobby on a Friday afternoon that you want to go and do, we want to encourage you to go and do it.”

The Good Work Agenda and flexible working report was conducted and written by Dr. Cat Spellman, Prof. Jo McBride from Durham University Business School, and Dr. Andrew Smith from Sheffield University Management School, in collaboration with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership. It was funded by a Durham ESRC IAA grant awarded by national research body, UK Research and Innovation.

Professor Jo McBride, Chair in Work and Employment Relations at Durham University Business School, said: “COVID-19 restrictions forced a rapid extension of a more flexible way of working. For many organisations this contributed to a reflection and reassessment of the future of work in their workplaces. It also led to the realisation for some of the significant value of a workforce.

“At a time when organisations are faced with an opportunity to proactively change the way they work and improve their employment relationship, this is also a perfect opportunity to link into and develop the Good Work Agenda.”

Michelle Rainbow from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership added: “I think the timing of the publication of this research is important because many organisations are considering what the future looks like in terms of how and where their employees work.

“The insight we have gathered will, I hope, give businesses confidence in knowing they’re not alone in tackling these issues. The conclusions and recommendations in the report are focused on centering policies around employees’ needs, welfare and wellbeing; and that is at the core of the Good Work Agenda.”

The impact of COVID-19 on the Good Work Agenda and flexible working is available to read on the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Evidence Hub via evidencehub.northeastlep.co.uk.

For more information about the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, visit www.northeastlep.co.uk.

For more information about Durham University Business School, visit www.dur.ac.uk/business.

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North East Local Enterprise Partnership reaction to ONS regional labour market statistics

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s (North East LEP) Strategy and Policy Director, Richard Baker, has commented on today’s regional labour market statistics, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)*.

“The latest data covers the March to May period, during which some COVID-19 restrictions were eased. Despite these changes, the overall labour market picture remained relatively unchanged on the previous (December to February) quarter with both the employment and unemployment rates remaining the same. 

“The North East continues to have the lowest working-age employment rate (72.0%) among the nine English regions and the second highest unemployment rate (5.8% of the economically active). The region also has the highest proportion of people who are economically inactive (23.6%).

“ONS continue to innovate with new data approaches to provide more up to date intelligence to support assessment of the economy, for example, a new experimental measure of payrolled employees. This suggests a more positive picture with the latest monthly estimate showing there was an increase of almost 12,000 payrolled employees in June. This is encouraging and we will monitor how this new data set develops given it is subject to revision and excludes information about self-employed workers.

“Beneath the general figures, COVID-19 continues to have an impact on the working lives of many people in the North East region and appears to be exacerbating inequalities. Whilst people were securing new jobs and there is growth in vacancies, about 4,400 workers experienced redundancy in the latest quarter, more than twice the total in the previous quarter and bringing the total to over 32,000 since March 2020. The latest data shows a particular impact on women in the North East with female employment falling by 3,600 in the latest quarter, in contrast to a 2,800 increase among males.

“Job seekers claimant count data provides indications of the variations of unemployment within the North East LEP area. At constituency level, the rates range from 2.8% in Hexham to 9.0% in South Shields.

“At the end of May, almost 63,000 workers in the North East LEP area were still furloughed, with workers in food and accommodation services still making up almost a quarter of this figure. Manufacturing accounted for 11,000 of the furloughed workers, a total that did not drop during those three months. 

“This provides a strong rationale for the ‘Levelling Up’ agenda with support needed to the North East as a whole and for places within the region. Over the longer term, our Recovery Plan sets out proposals to drive forward our vision of a more sustainable, competitive and inclusive regional economy. As the Prime Minister outlines the next steps with for the Levelling Up strategy, the North East LEP will continue to work with Government and our partners to provide support to our regional economy as we work through the recovery phase to seek investment into these proposals.”

*The official data released today includes employment information based on surveys in three month period March to May 2021 for the North East region, which includes the North East and Tees Valley LEP areas. It also includes experimental estimates of payrolled employee numbers and job seekers claimant count numbers for June 2021. The regional data has been revised to take account of improved population estimates.

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North East Local Enterprise Partnership reaction to ONS regional labour market statistics

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s (North East LEP) Strategy and Policy Director, Richard Baker, has commented on today’s regional labour market statistics, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

“As we mark the anniversary of the first lockdown, today’s data release is a timely reminder of the changes which COVID-19 has meant for our labour market. It provides the latest official data which includes regional employment information for the three months up to and including January 2021 and also annual comparisons.

“In the most recent months, the headline data has been stable. The employment rate in the North East region, which includes the North East and Tees Valley LEP areas, remains the lowest in England at 71.3 per cent, 0.1 percentage points higher than in the last quarter but 0.4 percentage points down on a year ago.

“The region has the second highest unemployment rate (6.2 per cent of the economically active) and the highest proportion of working age people who are economically inactive (23.8 per cent). Almost 30,000 workers in the region have been made redundant during the past year.

“However, some of the recent impact of COVID-19 has been masked by an increase in the use of furlough in the region. Over 114,000 North East employments were furloughed at the end of January, more than double the total of three months earlier. Most furloughed workers continue to be classified as employed in the official statistics.

“The impact on different groups in our population has been different. Younger people have experienced particular challenges both in employment and training and there have also been different patterns in the impact for men and women in the past year. The number of unemployed women has increased by 14 per cent, while male unemployment is lower (by about 8 per cent). Almost 52 per cent of furloughed workers in the North East at the end of January were female.

“The progress we are seeing towards the lifting of lockdown restrictions offers hope for the thousands of businesses unable to trade. Support for these businesses remaining under restrictions needs to continue.

“The North East LEP will continue to work with government as we look to drive forward our economy and address some of the key challenges which COVID-19 has created in our region.”

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Investing in infrastructure key for North East’s economic recovery

By Darren Laybourn, Director and Regional Strategic Lead at Turner & Townsend, and North East LEP Business Growth Board member.

Manchester’s skyline is often used to illustrate how well the economy is performing in the North West. The sight of tower cranes and new buildings appearing across the city suggests a high level of confidence from inward investors, and a vibrant, growing business community.

The construction industry can be a good indicator of a region’s economic health, which is why there has been so much focus on infrastructure and building back better from the coronavirus pandemic.

During the first national lockdown, the construction sector was one of the few areas of industry able to fully continue working. Government further bolstered the sector by investing millions of pounds in supporting infrastructure projects across the UK, including here in the North East, through the Getting Building Fund.

A booming construction sector gives confidence to the business community, particularly startups and SMEs. It encourages businesses to continue to invest in staff, which is vital in helping retain skills and talent in the region.

The UK’s exit from the EU has brought about new labour regulations that if not managed correctly, may result in a shortage of skills in some areas of the country. At a time when we’re looking to recover quickly from the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important we don’t develop a regional cold spot in terms of skills and labour.

The construction industry in the UK accounts for 10% of total UK employment – approximately three million jobs.* It also supports a wider ecosystem including delivery partners, supply chains – even coffee shops that serve workers on their lunch breaks. And it doesn’t stop there. The construction industry is the catalyst for creating new jobs in the longer term too, be that through new office spaces, business parks, enterprise zones, etc.

Cities like Manchester, and Leeds have gained the confidence of investors and the business community. That’s reflected in the amount of investment in new infrastructure projects across both destinations. If we’re going to compete with that we must maintain a good base of capital projects in the region and build back from the coronavirus pandemic.

There are already some fantastic examples of regeneration in North East England. Newcastle Helix has helped grow the region’s health and life science sector by creating an environment where academia and business can collaborate and drive forward innovations in data science, urban science and life science.

In Newcastle upon Tyne, work is beginning at pace on the transformation of East Pilgrim Street. The £100m project will introduce new offices, bars, restaurants, car parks, and housing in the city centre. The first phase of the project will see the creation of a new landmark, 14-storey, Grade A office building.

Across the river in Gateshead, the £290m NewcastleGateshead Quays regeneration scheme is expected to create around 2,000 new jobs in the North East and provide a £60m annual boost to the local economy.

Projects of this scale and ambition have increased confidence in the North East, resulting in more inward investment and more job creation, which maintains and, in some cases, grows those important skills.

The focus of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership on investment and infrastructure is at the heart of the region’s Strategic Economic Plan. Moving forward, we need to continue the successful delivery of funding programmes in the North East – including the Local Growth Fund. We also need to develop a regional project pipeline and support SMEs in the North East to bid for local work.

Earlier this year the North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group – which comprises the North East LEP, CBI, North of Tyne and North East Combined Authorities, the region’s universities, with the support of industry – submitted its North East Recovery and Renewal Deal to government, asking for a £2.8bn investment to support the North East’s economic recovery from COVID-19.

Building infrastructure to lead transformation and encourage future investment is a key theme in the deal. It is this that will help the region bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic and support future growth and investment in the North East.

Darren Laybourn is Director and Regional Strategic Lead at Turner & Townsend, and a Business Growth Board member at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership

*(source: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/UK_construction_industry)

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North East LEP begins valuable knowledge exchange with Ingolstadt

A virtual meeting between a delegation from Ingolstadt and a coalition of North East leaders is the latest in a series of partnerships set up by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to share experiences and ideas in a bid to tackle global skills challenges.

Senior representatives from the Ingolstadt Region will meet with members of the North East LEP, CBI, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, Nexus and New College Durham, following discussions between the North East LEP and the British Embassy in Berlin over the last six months.

Ingolstadt has a similar framework to the North East LEP in terms of determining economic priorities and leading economic growth and job creation within the local area.

Those involved will consider the common challenges facing today’s globalised world, from education and skills, transport and climate change through to energy, digitalisation and the future of industry.

Lucy Winskell, chair of the North East LEP, said: “No single organisation has the answer to the big challenges faced by businesses and society right now. Pooling talent, thinking, experiences and resources is the right way to find solutions to shared issues.

“We’re thrilled to be building what will hopefully be a valuable long-term relationship with Ingolstadt, which like us is home to a thriving automotive industry and has many other commonalities.”

The North East LEP has long been a proponent of shared learning. It led the Gatsby Foundation National Career Benchmarks pilot which was based on research carried out in the Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong, Finland, Canada and Ireland. The benchmarks have since been adopted as part of the Government’s careers strategy for schools and colleges, resulting in transformational changes to their careers programmes.

Its post-pilot work included providing support to the Barcelona City region and Welsh Government when they began the benchmarks’ implementation process, as well as hosting delegations from Hong Kong keen to learn more.

When the Government published its post-16 skills plan and independent report on technical education, the North East LEP visited Finland to gain a better understanding of its vocational education system and cascade best practice back.

Members of the team have attended Cities of the Future symposiums with delegates from around the world looking at skills for the future and fusion skills. Its involvement with the Ford Next Generation Learning Programme in Nashville has been a particular success.

Michelle Rainbow, the North East LEP’s skills director, said: “We are very much looking forward to meeting our peers from Ingolstadt and exchanging ideas and insight.

“From our involvement in the pioneering Ford Next Generation Learning Programme which is helping transform student attainment through industry links, through to the Gatsby Benchmarks, we have so much to share and know that our fellow leaders will too.”

Jill Gallard CMG, British Ambassador in Berlin, said: “Reducing carbon dioxide emissions at home and abroad in our COP26 presidency year is one of the government’s top priorities, as is the levelling up agenda. I am really pleased to see the North East sharing its experience of creating new jobs manufacturing electric vehicles with Ingolstadt and both sides learning from each other’s best practice on skills and training policies.”

Johannes Kolb, Area Director of Ingolstadt’s Agency for Employment, said: “I am looking forward to the exchange with colleagues from the North East of England. We can compare and learn from our respective labour market and skills policies – both within and outside the automotive sector.”

Jack Stallworthy, Policy Officer for Labour, Education, Health and Social Affairs, said: “It has been a delight to work with the North East LEP and Ingolstadt partners on the exchange. The North East has an exciting story to tell on preparing the workforce for working on electric vehicles.”

While the initial meetings are taking place virtually, it is hoped delegates from the North East will be able to travel to Ingolstadt to see activity in practice when it is safe to travel.

Read more about the  North East LEP’s plans for skills, employment, inclusion and progression here.

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Universities support North East’s economic recovery: START UP at Newcastle University

Universities have a vital role to play in helping the North East economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The work being delivered by North East universities is supporting new and existing businesses to innovate and grow, and shaping and supporting a more sustainable and inclusive economy.

Durham University, Newcastle University, Northumbria University, University of Sunderland and Teesside University are all members of the North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group, which was established by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to provide business resilience and ensure a collective response to the economic impact of COVID-19 on the North East economy.

Below is a case study about Newcastle University’s START UP offer, with a focus on the impact student and graduate businesses it supports are having within the region, and how they are responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Newcastle University is ranked Top 5 in the UK for graduate entrepreneurship based on start-up turnover and investment raised. Based on average investment per start-up, the University is ranked Top 10 in the UK for scalable graduate start-ups and has generated the most investable graduate start-ups in the North East.

START UP is an equity-free support system for Newcastle University students and graduates up to three years and includes START UP Founderships, a pre-accelerator programme to ready the individual and their businesses for market entry, investment and success.

There are currently 203 START UP-supported businesses trading with a combined annual turnover of close to £60 million. Between them, they’ve raised over £19 million in external investment, won national and global awards and created 695 full-time equivalent jobs.

*All rankings and statistics from HE-BCI Survey 2018-19.

Over 70% of these businesses have remained in the North East, many of which recruit within the region, such as One Utility Bill, Nebula Labs and My Healthcare Recruit. Many the businesses are securing impressive investment figures.

In September 2020, Equiwatt raised over £300,000 to roll-out its innovative, energy-efficient app and create four new jobs in Newcastle. A month prior, Tea Ventures Ltd (NovelTea) welcomed 1,000 investors onboard as part of a crowdfund campaign that raised £577,000 to advance its plans to break into the US market, and in December, gained a further £1.4M investment for expansion and job creation.

Many of the START UP founders are persevering or finding ways to pivot despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. Some have received grant support through Newcastle University’s partnership with Santander Universities UK to help them survive and thrive in 2020, and others are applying to a newly launched fund of £40,000.

“Last year with Santander Universities, we launched a Covid-19 Fund to help our START UP community adapt in response to the global crisis, supporting some businesses to scale in order to meet new demand. This new Fund is about stimulating and supporting the next wave of entrepreneurs and changemakers who will have a critical role to play in our economic and social recovery” said Claire Adamson, START UP Manager, Newcastle University. “It is also about making visible and celebrating the individuals joining the growing community of Newcastle University students and graduates who have created their own graduate jobs as well as employment opportunities for others”, she added.

Santander Universities has been in partnership with Newcastle University since 2009 and has provided close to £1.7M to the University, with £189k appointed to enterprise activities.

Matt Hutnell, Director, Santander Universities, says: “Santander is committed to supporting higher education as well as local communities across the UK. We’re proud of our partnership with Newcastle University and we’re delighted to support their new Start Up Fund which will enable many more budding entrepreneurs to thrive, particularly during this challenging time.”

To find out more about START UP, visit www.ncl.ac.uk.

Click here to read more about how universities in the region are playing a central role in supporting the region to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Click here to read more about the North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group.