Attracting talent to North East crucial for levelling-up

Talented young people need to be encouraged not to move away, experts say

Growing up with Middlesbrough's industrial skyline as a backdrop, it was natural Kris Wadrop would go into a career linked to where he lived.

For him, that involved leaving the North East and going across the Atlantic. Now back on Teesside, he believes the area currently offers good opportunities for young people at the start of their working lives.

Experts say making the region attractive to workers from across the county is essential for it to be successfully "levelled-up".

Like many people born and bred in Middlesbrough, chemical engineer Kris grew up surrounded by an industrial landscape.

"You'd do your trips to Redcar for lemon tops and drive past the Wilton site with its chimneys and its cooling towers," he said.

"I was good at maths and science at school and I thought, 'well, that's how you get a job on Teesside'. Chemicals were in my veins."

He started working at ICI and as part of the job with his wife and first child moved to the United States, where they had three more children.

They decided to move back to England to be closer to their families for support but Kris' job was put at risk and so they moved to Oxfordshire before he managed to find a job to bring him back to the North East.

Kris Wadrop says he believes there are lots of opportunities for his children

"Support networks were a big thing but when you look at the cost of living here relative to anywhere else in the country it just doesn't compare."

The 50-year-old now works at CPI, a not-for-profit deep tech innovation organisation, and said he had been impressed by what was happening in the area.

"When I come round the sites now and I look at the investment that's coming back I think it's phenomenal," he said.

"I think the potential for the next 20 years for my kids to have a career here is astronomical.

"The apprenticeship opportunities that will come through for school leavers will be better than they ever have been. I really do think we have the potential to go into a new golden era for the area."

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics in December showed for the three months to October 2021 the North East had the UK's lowest employment rate with 70.3% - the lowest employment rate since January to March 2016.

Rachel Coates said she thinks faster transport links will help

Sim Hall, who runs Darlington-based recruitment agency Populus Select Ltd, said: "People have left the region to pursue their dreams and go to university and there are also those that came here to study but left again.

"We need to make sure we communicate to those people that the North East is happening again.

"There are highly-paid vacancies out there that we're not being able to fill and the danger is that we're not going to be able to achieve this levelling-up if we can't fill them.

"Relocating people is our first choice. It's not easy, it's hard work, but we need to do something.

"We're putting a lot of research into it and seeing a lot of benefits but more work needs to be done."

'High-speed connection'

Rachel Coates is working back in the North East, having moved to London for a job in HR tech. Her employer, like many others, changed its policy since the pandemic to allow staff to work from home.

So the 27-year-old, who was born in Newcastle and grew up in Yarm, is now back on Tyneside.

"I think the drawback is always going to be getting to other cities. If we had a high-speed connection to other areas then I think it would draw more people to the region," she said.

Andy Preston said he believed the drain can be stopped

"Another issue is the level of job that is available. Even though there might be jobs, there might not be the type of jobs that suit the people leaving, creating that 'brain drain'.

"Maybe people want to work in fashion, or fintech - those types of companies are drawn to London so finding that type of employment here is always a challenge."

Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston said: "We can stop the drain. Way too many of our talented and bright people leave the area. Secondly, we can attract bright, talented people from other areas to come here."

Among the work being done he said was building new homes, new offices and attracting new types of employers, such as in technology.

"We're not going to change the world overnight and turn Middlesbrough centre into Covent Garden or Leicester Square but work has already stated to reposition this as a place to do stuff.

"It's a short-term easy fix in some ways but there's an enormous and exiting picture that will take longer as well."