Member Article

Driving ambition into local young people

Scores of business people readily hopped on board a converted double-decker bus as it toured the region this summer - to let young people know about the exciting and varied employment and training opportunities available in the North East.

Culture change programme Aspire organised the tour as part of the North East Really Delivers (nerd) campaign, which is part of a multi-strand initiative that aims to help reverse the brain drain of young people leaving the region in order to further their career ambitions.

The nerd bus showcased a series of industries and career demonstrations, talks, competitions and fun activities, designed to show youngsters the breadth of opportunities open to them without leaving the region.

Pamela Hargreaves, Aspire’s young people and partnerships manager, said: “Over 1600 organisations have signed up to the Aspire campaign already”. “The tour was a great opportunity to promote their own products and services and play their part in encouraging youngsters to stay in a thriving area that has a wealth of study, work and leisure opportunities.”

Many businesses joined the fully equipped nerd bus at a series of venues throughout the North East including, Alnwick, Durham, Hartlepool, Newcastle, Stockton, Gateshead and Sunderland.

Chloe Squires, contact centre manager from Parkdean Holidays dished out employment information at the Durham and Newcastle stop, she said: “It was important for us to be at the nerd tour to engage young people into our business and to encourage young people to stay here in the region which will inevitably grow our local economy and make the region a better place with a higher skilled workforce.”

Demonstrating the vast choose of job opportunities available in the North East, Michael Sogbuten a professional break-dancer from ARC, Stockton, demonstrated some gravity defying moves outside the bus in Stockton, and Jez Lundin a professional ice hockey player from the Mobilx Vipers was aboard the bus on Northumberland Street at the Newcastle stop, answering career questions on how to get into the professional sporting sector.

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