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A partnership that works both ways

A PARTNERSHIP THAT WORKS BOTH WAYS

Jane Austin, Head of HR and Communications at water retail company Wave, became involved in the North East LEP’s Enterprise Adviser programme after Wave’s CEO heard about the programme at a conference.

Jane was matched with a school just a couple of miles from where she lives and is now working in partnership with Fiona Brennan, (pictured left), Work-Related Learning Co-ordinator at Marden High School in North Tyneside.

Together, Jane (pictured below) and Fiona aim to strengthen careers guidance at the school, ensuring that the school achieves the eight Good Career Guidance Benchmarks which have been successfully piloted here in the North East and now form a central part of the Government’s new careers strategy.

“We had already completed an internal audit to see how the school was performing against the eight benchmarks, and this helped us to identify our priorities for the academic year, and for our work with Jane,” explained Fiona. “For example, we found that our careers provision varied across year groups and that we needed to provide more opportunities for our younger pupils.”

 “Working together with Jane has been a really positive experience and I feel that we’re making good progress towards achieving the benchmarks. The most useful thing has been having the support of someone who is looking at our situation from a different perspective.

 “We want to make sure that students come away from our career events feeling inspired and wanting to know more. We need to spark their interest and give them experiences which they can relate to.

 “We now have a number of careers-focused events planned for different year groups in the New Year and more in the pipeline – these include a half day event where pupils will run their own business, learning how to make business decisions in areas such as pricing, HR and production. We’re also challenging stereotypes, with younger pupils meeting people who work in all sorts of different careers, from firefighters to marketers.

“I’m really, really happy with our partnership and Jane’s experience and passion means we work very well together.

 Jane Austin added: “Working together, we’ve made huge progress in a short time. We’ve moved towards filling the gaps in provision which the school had already identified and we’re in a position now where we have a plan for the careers offering for every year group and we can evidence the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks in a more robust way across all ages.

 “While I’m working with the school on a strategic level, I’ll still be supporting them at events which is great as I have the pleasure of watching the students grow and, every time, I come away astounded by them.

 “There’s something amazing about a partnership between business and education. The school gains from it but so does the business.

 “I’ll be calling on my colleagues in finance, sales and our CEO, who will all be volunteering at events and sharing their knowledge with pupils. Our employees get a lot out of being involved and opportunities to volunteer are really valued by people at all levels – the partnership really does work both ways and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

 Find out more about the North East LEP Enterprise Adviser programme.

 

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North East LEP ONS Regional Labour Market statistics reaction

North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Senior Economist Victoria Sutherland gives her reaction to today’s Regional Labour Market statistics.

“Today’s statistics are positive for the North East.

“Employment in the region has increased by 17,000 over the past quarter and by 28,000 over the year. And while unemployment levels have remained steady over the quarter, they have reduced over the year, with 7,000 fewer people unemployed than a year ago.

“Over the last quarter and year, the North East has seen the greatest improvement in the proportion of its population aged 16 to 64 that are in employment of all the regions and nations in the UK. The region has also seen the largest increase in its economic activity rate, suggesting that increasing employment opportunities in the North East are bringing more people into the labour market.

“These improvements also mean the gap is closing between the North East and elsewhere, a key objective of the North East Strategic Economic Plan.

“The increase of 28,000 more people in work reflects the hard work and ambition of businesses in the region.

“However, whilst the region has made significant progress, levels of unemployment in the North East are still among the highest of the UK regions.

“The North East Strategic Economic Plan sets out a range of actions that aim to deliver more and better jobs for the region and to support residents to access these. Given that we are entering a period of economic uncertainty, the North East LEP will continue to work with partners to help businesses scale and to create more and better jobs.”

 

Ends.

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North East Enterprise Zones leading the way to success

A PROJECT to drive business and investment in the North East has been hailed a success.

North East Enterprise Zones were created to support economic growth by developing sites with key attributes to help businesses start-up, grow and expand.

Since their initial launch in 2012, the sites have attracted businesses and investors keen to take advantage of the generous financial incentives on offer, as well as the strategic locations available for development.

Now five years on, the latest figures show the zones have already created 1318 jobs across the 46 businesses that located to them.

In total, the 12 Enterprise Zones brought over £36m of investment to the North East.

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership secured the Enterprise Zones for the region and supported infrastructure work, including roads and utilities, for the sites.

Executive director, Helen Golightly, said: “We are delighted with the success of the North East Enterprise Zones.

“All of our Enterprise Zones are in key locations, so whether it’s adjacent to a major trunk road like the A19 or A1 or whether it’s next to a major cluster of activity, they’re all strategically positioned.

“They’re clustered around our areas of opportunity, for example automotive or offshore. They’re next to the areas that we really feel are going to thrive.

“The zones are all at different stages but we have high hopes for the future. We have these fantastic sites and we’re investing a lot in them to get them ready.”

One such success is Neptune Yard in Newcastle, once a centre of shipbuilding on the River Tyne but now home to a new generation of thriving industry.

Part of the North Bank of the Tyne Enterprise Zone, the historic site is now leading the way in offshore wind and renewables.

The revitalised site has created 485 jobs and attracted over £40m of investment.

Businesses located at Neptune Yard include global companies Shepherd Offshore; GE Oil & Gas; Bridon International; IHC FHP; and JDR Cables.

Newcastle University has also established Tyne Subsea, a hub for hyperbaric research, test and certification.

Demand for the site is so high plans are in place to extend to create more space with the North Bank of the Tyne Extension project.

The North Bank of the Tyne Enterprise Zone includes the Port of Tyne, the former Swan Hunter ship yard and the former Neptune Shipyard.

The cluster of sites in the North Bank of the Tyne Zone is a primary location for the offshore, subsea and energy sectors.

The Enterprise Zones also offer simplified planning procedures, access to some of the best development land in the North East, as well as business-specific benefits.

Through Business Rate Discount, businesses can gain up to 100% discount against business rates worth up to £275,000 over a five year period from occupying the premises on the Enterprise Zone site. This is equivalent to £55,000 per year but does not need to be taken as an even annual split.

Alternatively, through the Enhanced Capital Allowance, business can receive up to 100% capital allowance for investment in plant and equipment on the Enterprise Zone site. This can represent tax relief worth up to £125m.

But it is the strategic locations of the zones that businesses can most benefit from.

Helen said: “All of the business in our Enterprise Zones benefit from being ideally positioned in a strategic location within a cluster of companies working in key areas of opportunity.

“Businesses can be part of the supply chain and work with each other. This approach has really worked very well.

“If you look at Neptune, they’ve now got global companies that have located there. It’s all about working with the investors and building links.

“We think the North East Enterprise Zones have huge potential. With over 1300 full-time jobs and £36m of investment already in our Enterprise Zones, the figures really do speak for themselves.”

 

 

ENDS

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Scaleup North East helps ambitious businesses achieve their full potential

A new multimillion pound programme, Scaleup North East, aims to create more than 6,000 new jobs and boost the number of scaleup businesses in the region by 50% by 2024.

Expressions of interest are now open for Scaleup North East, which is being delivered by RTC North as an integral part of the North East Growth Hub. The programme will support businesses with the ambition and drive to achieve a real step change in business growth.

Businesses involved in the programme will be matched with an experienced ‘Scaleup Partner’ to work with them throughout their journey to support and inspire them to achieve their growth goals.

Colin Bell, Business Growth director at the North East LEP, said: “Scaleup North East is an incredibly exciting programme that is aimed at businesses that want to scale, become more profitable and employ more people.”

“This is something totally new. It’s a real step-change for the region that will help us meet our goal of creating more and better jobs and opportunities, as set out in our Strategic Economic Plan.

“Scaleup North East will create and sustain more scaleup businesses and has the potential to make a truly transformational impact on the North East economy.”

Andrew Buckley, Chief Executive at RTC North, said “RTC has been supporting North East businesses for 30 years and is incredibly proud to be delivering the Scaleup North East programme. We are looking forward not only to working with the region’s existing scale up businesses, helping them to overcome any barriers to continued growth, but also to identifying and nurturing the next generation of scale up businesses”.

To join Scaleup North East, businesses must:

  • Be based in the North East LEP area (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham)
  • Be a registered company and have been trading for more than three years
  • Have a minimum of five and less than 250 employees (FTEs)
  • Have an annual turnover of more than £500K and less than €50million
  • Operate in an eligible ERDF sector (not banking, insurance or retail sectors)

But, most importantly, participating businesses must have the ambition to grow.

Businesses that think they could benefit are now being asked to come forward to register their interest and sign up to the launch event on January 26. You can do that here.

Scaleup North East is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

The project received a £700,000 grant from the Local Growth Deal through the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

For more information, please visit www.scaleupnortheast.co.uk or call RTC North on 0191 516 4400.

ENDS

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

 

RTC North Contacts:

RTC services are designed to help clients innovate, compete and grow. Specialising in the commercialisation of new products and services, we work with individuals, businesses and the public sector to help create more innovative and vibrant economies.

Founded in 1989, the company has vast experience of helping organisations with all stages of the innovation and IP commercialisation process and uses this expertise to support partners at a UK regional, national and European level.

RTC is a lead UK partner in the worlds’ largest business support network – Enterprise Europe Network – and has established relationships with partners in Asia as well as North and South America.
ERDF: The Scaleup North East project is supported by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The project is receiving up to £2.5m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

 

About the North East LEP

The North East LEP is a public, private and education sector partnership that covers Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland local authority areas.

The £270.4m Local Growth Fund, secured as part of the North East Growth Deal, supports the North East LEP’s delivery of the Strategic Economic Plan, which aims to create 100,000 more and better jobs by 2024.

Local Growth Fund

Local Enterprise Partnerships are playing a vital role in driving forward economic growth across the country, helping to build a country that works for everyone.

That’s why by 2021 Government will have invested over £12bn through the Local Growth Fund, allowing LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders.

Analysis has shown that every £1 of Local Growth Fund invested could generate £4.81 in benefits.

If you would like some further facts about the Fund, or the wider regeneration work going on across the country, please contact DCLG press office by emailing [email protected] in the first instance to request any additional information you might need.

 

 

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North East LEP ONS Regional Labour Market Statistics Reaction

North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Senior Economist Victoria Sutherland gave her reaction to today’s positive regional labour market statistics.

“Today’s data is encouraging. It shows the number of people in employment in the North East has increased by 10,000 on the quarter and 25,000 on the year.  There have also been declines in unemployment, with 6,000 fewer individuals unemployed than last quarter and 8,000 fewer unemployed than this time last year.

“The improvements in the employment rate and the unemployment rate have been better in the North East than across England as a whole over the quarter and the year.

“In addition, there are only two regions (the East of England and the South East), that have had a larger improvement in their employment rate than the North East over the last quarter.

“Interestingly, over the last year, most of the growth in employment has been among women, with18,000 more women in work than a year ago. However, over the last quarter, the majority of the increase has been amongst men.

“It remains an uncertain economic environment so it is good to see employment is growing and unemployment declining. Given concerns over other economic data recently, we welcome these positive trends for the North East.

“We would like to see next week’s Budget and the Government’s Industrial Strategy bring forward plans that will support the North East to continue to grow its economy and create good quality employment opportunities for its residents.”

 

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£5 million industrial units development given the green light

Planning permission has been granted for three new large industrial units in Hebburn. The units, which will be built on the Monkton Business Park, are expected to create over 100 jobs.

Washington-based Hellens Group, which is leading the project to create 55,000 square feet (5,110 square metres) of new industrial space, has received £1.27m from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP’s) Local Growth Fund that is helping a range of industrial and commercial infrastructure projects across the North East LEP area along with loan funding of £1.7M from the North East Investment Fund (NEIF), an evergreen loan fund also administered by the North East LEP

Gavin Cordwell-Smith, chief executive at Hellens Group, said: “The development is fantastic news for South Tyneside and the wider region. These new units will offer growing businesses modern manufacturing space with 6-8m eaves height, and good power availability. We will work with prospective tenants to develop the internal layout of the units and offer cost-competitive rates on long term leases. We are tremendously appreciative of the support for the project that we’ve had from both South Tyneside Council and the North East LEP.”

Work will commence on site in September with a target completion date of September 2018. There will be one large unit of 30,000 square feet and two smaller units of 15,000 and 10,000 square feet although there is the option for prospective businesses to combine the two smaller units into a 35,000 square foot facility. The units will come with their own service yards and parking facilities.

Monkton Business Park has rapidly developed into a key business location in South Tyneside. The 16ha site provides a range of office and industrial facilities on the edge of town, on a landscaped setting which forms part of the Great North Forest. The southern part of the site provides a major new office campus, with more than 18,000m2 of speculatively built new office space, while a range of manufacturing accommodation is provided to the north.

The site is located close to the A184 – between the A19 and A1- in close proximity to Newcastle and Sunderland. The location gives excellent access to the regional road network and is well placed to serve manufacturers with supply chains north and south of the River Tyne. Importantly, it is less than 15 minutes away from the planned International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) and Nissan’s Sunderland car plant.

The site is already home to a number of companies including Siemens, Hitachi Construction Machinery Ltd, Variable Message Signs (VMS) Ltd, Ford Component Manufacturing, Clugston Construction and Kier North along with many others.

Leader of South Tyneside Council, Councillor Iain Malcolm, said: “This is excellent news for South Tyneside, with regional funds from the LEP being used in a targeted way to grow the borough’s business prospects. I’m delighted that funding from LEP’s North East Investment Fund and the Local Growth Fund will enable construction of these much-needed units to get underway this year.”

The £270.4m Local Growth Fund, secured as part of the North East Growth Deal, supports the North East LEP’s delivery of the Strategic Economic Plan, which aims to create 100,000 more and better jobs by 2024. The North East Investment Fund was established as an evergreen loan funding to support capital projects that will lead to job creation.

David Land, Chair of the North East LEP’s Investment Panel, said: “Businesses in our region, particularly growing SMEs, are looking for new, state of-the-art facilities. Hellens Group has a strong track record in delivering projects and this scheme ticks many of the boxes in the LEP’s priorities and objectives, including supporting enterprise and private sector business growth; and strengthening transport, connectivity and infrastructure in the region.

By investing and developing in new infrastructure we can help create more and better jobs for the North East.”

Once built, the three units will be retained by Hellens Group and available to let by way of FRI leases.

Over the past five years Hellens Group has invested in excess of £10 million on a programme of new developments across the North East.

The company has already received a number of speculative enquiries from prospective tenants, from a range of manufacturing companies including both SME’s and larger businesses. Businesses wanting further information on the Monkton Business Park units should contact GVA or HTA Real Estate who are acting as joint agents for the development.

Notes to editors:

About Hellens Group

The Hellens Group based in Washington, Tyne and Wear, includes property, construction and manufacturing businesses with interests throughout the North East and Yorkshire.

The original business (John Hellens (Contracts) Ltd) was founded in 1973 in the North East of England. Focusing at that time on the regeneration of brownfield sites, the company became leading experts in this field throughout the North of England.  Over the years the company has adapted to changing market conditions and has moved into sports and recreation facility construction, land and property development and investment as well as manufacturing of hard landscaping products for the building industry.

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We’re recruiting: Life Sciences and Health Programme Lead

The North East LEP leads on the development and delivery of the North East Strategic Economic Plan, aiming to support economic and employment growth across the region through business growth, skills and innovation delivery in key areas of economic opportunity for the North East.

We seek a high calibre Programme Lead to work with our partners to take forward our Life Sciences and Health programme. You will work with the Life Sciences Steering Group which brings together representatives from our established cluster of pharmaceutical manufacturers, our network of innovative small and medium sized enterprises, university science of national and international standing, business networks and innovation organisations, and a strong and research focused public health care system

With the Steering Group, you will identify opportunities to strengthen the profile and understanding of North East assets and capabilities regionally, nationally and internationally, develop approaches to address the opportunities and challenges of the community in the region, and define and secure investment into a pipeline of projects to improve the local business environment.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate up to date knowledge of Life Sciences developed from current or recent business experience and a good understanding of future directions and business drivers within the industry. You will have strong presentation skills, the capacity to network and exert influence at senior levels in public and private sectors, an ability to spot opportunities and experience of creating business cases for investment.

Further details

Up to £50,860 per annum

Fixed term for 12 months with possible extension depending on funding.

The post may be suitable for a secondment or consultancy arrangement.

Closes: 5 June 2017

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for assessment on 19 June 2017

Apply online

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Youth employment officer – North East region

Leonard Cheshire Disability is recruiting for a Youth Employment Officer, to be based partly from the North East LEP offices and partly from home.

About Leonard Cheshire Disability

Leonard Cheshire Disability is one of the world’s leading charities for disabled people. We believe that disabled people should have the freedom to live their lives the way they choose – with the opportunity and support to live independently, to contribute economically and to participate fully in society.

Salary and benefits

£27,042 per annum (expenses costs also covered)

Working hours

Full time contract, 35 hours per week (Pilot contract initially agreed till September 2018)

Find out more

To find out more, and apply online, visit the website.

Closing date: Wednesday 17 May

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Today’s employment figures: Sustained job creation and falling unemployment

Richard Baker, North East Local Enterprise Partnership Head of Strategy and Policy, said today’s Office for National Statistics employment data continued to demonstrate a longer term picture of positive labour market performance in the North East.

“Employment in the North East now stands at another record high this quarter at 1.215 million people, that’s 51,000 more people in work than 12 months ago,” said Richard.

“The rate of growth in the number of people in employment in our region is growing faster than the English average both over the last quarter and the previous year, which is very encouraging.

“We are continuing to narrow the employment rate gap with the English average.

“Today’s figures also show that the number of people out of work has fallen again, by 20,000 in the three months to September and nearly 30,000 fewer people in unemployment now compared to one year ago.

“We are also seeing a continuation in the rise of permanent jobs for both men and women which is encouraging.

“It remains a concern however that the number of people economically inactive is rising.

“The reasons for this are unclear from this data but could be related to a fall in the number of people in self-employment in the North East over the past year, in contrast to the national trend, and unstable jobs.

“This requires further investigation into what is a complex picture. Our concern is to ensure that the quality of employment opportunities continues to improve.”