LET’S MAKE OUR BEST EVEN BETTER
Today we launch a major new campaign to bring jobs, prosperity and investment to the North East
THE Chronicle is launching a campaign to make the North East a better place in which to live and work.
Invest in the North East – which is being supported by some of the region’s top companies and public organisations – aims to celebrate positive initiatives to improve the economy of the region, whilst challenging the North East to be even more ambitious in the years ahead.
The campaign, which is also running in our sister title The Journal, will focus on three main areas: jobs; education and skills; and infrastructure.
We will be backing efforts by companies here and by businesses looking to come to the North East not just to create new jobs, but also to create better jobs by improving the skills of their workforce.
We will be pushing the Government to meet its manifesto commitment to narrow the gap between the regions of the UK by investing more in the North East and reversing funding inequalities affecting the region.
And we will be encouraging employers and educators in the North East to work together to close the skills gap, especially in sectors like technology, science and engineering. Editor-in-chief Darren Thwaites said: “Invest in the North East will be a wide-ranging campaign that aims to make the North East the best place to live in the country. “The Journal and The Chronicle have fought for this region for well over a century, and now we are doing that in the digital age through the Chroniclelive website. “People from the North East know that this is a great place to live and work, and one of the main priorities of the campaign will be to ensure that the rest of the country knows too. “We also want to tackle some of the challenges facing our region and ensure that everyone here has a great future.”
The campaign has been launched at a crucial time for the region, with devolution for the North of Tyne area offering a unique opportunity for the region to forge its own future.
But there are also fears that Brexit will hit the region’s businesses, with Government research suggesting the North East will fare the worst of all UK regions when the UK leaves the European Union.
Invest in the North East will also continue our campaigning on issues important to the region’s future, including transport, digital infrastructure, responsible business, inward investment and job creation.
The campaign is being supported by a number of the region’s top employers, including Newcastle Airport, Northumbrian Water, Newcastle College, rail company Northern, Stagecoach and Newcastle University.