Sponsor's message: Keeping talent in our region

Aug 21 2009 By NRG

WHEN it comes to recession, the North East has a history of being late in and late out. If the pattern repeats itself this time around it could have serious consequences for our talent pool.

The danger is that valuable, highly skilled people will move away from the region to find work in areas of the country which return to growth before the North East, or even overseas.

Recognising this threat, Newcastle-based recruitment specialist NRG is working proactively on two fronts to keep talent in the region – developing its own Leadership Enterprise Opportunity (LEO) programme and delivering the Talent Challenge
programme on behalf of One North East.

The LEO programme, which is the brainchild of NRG’s CEO Lorna Moran, will be accredited by the universities of Northumbria and Teesside and is aimed at talented and highly-valued employees who lose their jobs through redundancy – people who employers would otherwise never let go and would re-employ without hesitation.

Its objective is to capture and channel these valuable people before they leave the region so that we emerge from the current recession in the strongest possible position.

An intensive four-week programme, LEO will help participants to analyse, enhance and, if necessary, re-package their skills for successful career progression. They will be encouraged to consider and explore all their options, including embarking on a new career, going back into education or training, starting their own business or even taking a look at potentially life-changing opportunities in the third sector.

Along with peer group sessions and one-to-one coaching, the programme offers an exceptional level of access to major employers, influencers and decision makers as well as practical assistance in areas like CV development and presentation skills. It will also provide a vehicle for participants to build future networks with contacts they meet on the programme.

Lorna Moran said the programme was open to professional people from any sector who have a career ahead of them and want to learn more about opportunities in the wider economy.

“This is a programme that encourages those taking part to look at the economic landscape of the future,” she said. “We also want to encourage people to be more enterprising and consider working for themselves.

“Whatever direction participants choose to take, they will all leave the programme with a clear plan for the immediate future and a greatly expanded network of contacts.”

The LEO programme is endorsed by One North East, Business Link and major business organisations within the region including the CBI, NECC, and the Entrepreneurs Forum.

Some bursary funding may be available to assist those who want to join the LEO community.

For more information, call Lesley Sabiston on (0191) 260 4412 or visit www.leoprogramme.co.uk

Talent Challenge

Another key project aimed at supporting the region’s talent pool in the current climate is Talent Challenge, which has been developed by One North East.

Talent Challenge offers support to professional, managerial or highly-skilled technical individuals across the region who are identified as at risk of redundancy or have recently been made redundant or put on short time working.

Following a rigorous tender process, One North East selected NRG to deliver the Talent Challenge pilot programme on its behalf, delivering a service to up to 300 individuals to the end of October 2009.

Candidates are already benefiting from the service which evaluates each individual’s skills, analyses personality profiles and supports each candidate in redirection to alternative employment, further training or additional support, such as enhanced interviewing skills and job search techniques.

The project has already proven a success for candidates like Jonathan Thompson. “I have found the programme to be illuminating in terms of highlighting marketable skills I already have,” he said. “I am now considering a career change which will be based on my different skill set. Without the Talent Challenge programme that may not have happened.

“I found NRG to be quick and effective about organising my participation in the programme. Equipped with a Personal Development Plan and a new CV I am starting to achieve new objectives.”