Member Article

Regional Leadership Programme 'Vital Tool'

A North East leadership initiative was last night heralded as a vital tool for tackling the challenges facing the region, according to David Miliband. The Minister of Communities and Local Government held up the North East People Exchange Programme (NEPEP) as a shining example of the type of project that is able to deal with the challenges arising from the region moving to a service sector-based economy from the previous era of heavy industry.

NEPEP is managed by a partnership of regionally-based organisations working together with WIG (The Whitehall & Industry Group). The programme, which has received funding support from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has already achieved a successful first year.

Speaking at the launch of NEPEP’s 2nd year programme, Mr Miliband said: “We have very exciting opportunities and challenges for the region over the next five to ten years. “None are going to be solved by the public sector alone, the private sector alone or the voluntary sector alone. “It is ridiculous that people don’t talk to each other – maybe there aren’t the mechanisms to make it possible. But NEPEP is a mechanism that does make it possible.”

John Cuthbert, Northumbrian Water managing director, said: “I believe that if one looks at the North East as a region, one thing that is blatantly obvious is that we have all got to work together. “We have got to find more and more effective ways to collaborate. That collaboration between the public and private sector is one of the most important areas for the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .