IT'S no secret that the North-East region has been one of the hardest hit in the UK in terms of job losses during the global economic downturn.

A recent TUC report claimed that 36,000 more people are without a job in the region, an increase of 3.1% since the start of the recession.

Yet, despite widespread doom and gloom, there is still a great deal to be positive about in the North-east, especially given the number of major brands basing their operations in the region.

At Thorn Lighting, we made the decision to move our UK headquarters to an award-winning plant in Spennymoor which houses 595 staff. Although Thorn operates in more than 100 markets around the world, including Australia and Hong Kong, it is the company’s decision to lay down roots in the North-east of England which is of particular interest.

While the decision was made for a variety of reasons, we had to be sure that we could recruit the right employees for the needs of our business.

From our existing operations, we were confident that the North-east had an abundance of talent to choose from and we invest in the development of our employees to ensure they remain at the top of their chosen field.

One of the most important aspects for the future stability of the North-east job market must be to keep producing skilled workers, be that in production, technical, administrative, marketing or management disciplines.

If leading brands are to continue to see the region as an attractive and viable investment opportunity, access to the right people is crucial.

Links between businesses and local employment providers is key, ensuring that people from across the region are ready and equipped for employment with technology providers. For this to happen, businesses must also continue to invest in the development of their workforce.

:: Helle Drager Sandahl, Thorn Lighting