Course to help region retain its young talent

Sep 8 2009 By Christopher Knox, The Journal

AN INNOVATIVE programme has been launched at Newcastle Business School which aims to help retain in the North East talented individuals who have lost or face losing their jobs as a result of the economic downturn.

The four-week course is the brainchild of North East businesswoman Lorna Moran and aims to give participants a better chance of landing a job in the region through a series of workshops and networking events.

Accredited by the universities of Teesside and Northumbria, the course has attracted a wide variety of highly skilled participants who have become frustrated with the lack of opportunities within the region’s job market and are turning to the experts to give them a cutting edge.

The intensive course provides a number of opportunities, including one-to-one mentoring with a number of industry insiders, group visits within some of the region’s thriving business sectors and advice on how to create the perfect CV.

Mrs Moran, who is the founder of the Entrepreneurs Forum and is running the course through her Newcastle-based recruitment company NRG, believes there is a worrying trend of skilled workers from the region seeking work elsewhere as the recession hampers businesses from investing in new staff.

She said: "The recession has caught everyone off guard and has left too many of our talented people out of work.

"We must do everything we can to stem the tide of people leaving the North East to find work in other areas of the country.

"The first two weeks of the programme are all about assessing what skills the participants have to offer and what sectors these are best suited to, while the second week provides opportunities to market these skills to the region’s business community and really put yourself out there.

"We hear the word enterprise all the time, but this course really gives candidates an understanding of what this means in today’s changing economy.

"The region’s economy has drastically changed in a very short space of time and we aim to show those seeking work that this has created a number of opportunities, which will hopefully convince them to stay put."

The course, which is endorsed by One North East , will encourage the participants to consider all of the options available, from embarking on a new career to starting their own business

Margaret Fay, chairwoman of regional development agency One North EAst, said: "I have been in the same situation as many of these participants, so I know exactly how they are feeling. This course will give them a fantastic opportunity to re-engage with the region’s business sector and give them more reason to stay in the North East."