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Colleagues in the North East were delighted to meet together with fellow NEPIC members in Stockton-on-Tees in October to talk about the exciting plans for the regional.
NEPIC, the North East of England Process Industry Cluster, is a not-for-profit organisation who support local businesses across the process-chemical and engineer sector supply chains. The team at NEPIC host regular events, included the recent Meet The Members conference and exhibition.
Branch Manager Emma Lowden who attended the event, described how it was a great opportunity to meet back up again face to face.
“There was a real buzz in the room, as everyone looked forward to meeting new faces and having real conversations with people again. The presentations on the day also provided a great opportunity to hear about the fantastic things currently happening and planned across the Teesside area. Everyone we spoke to was feeling optimistic about the opportunities these ambitious plans will provide their businesses and the local community.
We share that excitement, as we continue to make plans to open a new NRL branch in the heart of Teesside in early 2022.
A massive thanks to the team at NEPIC, for carefully planning and managing such a great event.”
Surveying the appetite within the Teesside region
Whilst hosting a stand at the conference, NRL colleagues took the opportunity to undertake an interactive survey to understand the opportunities businesses see arising thanks to the continuing investment in Teesside. Local businesses unable to attend on the day also took to LinkedIn to participate in the poll.
A great deal of local opportunity for local people
The survey asked people what excited them most about Teesside’s bold regeneration plans.
52% said the sustainable employment opportunities it will provide for local people
24% said the boost to the local economy the regeneration plans will provide
14% said the opportunities it will provide to place Teesside on the map as the UK leader for net zero and carbon reduction initiatives
10% said the opportunities it will provide to entice new talent into the region
Diversification and new services on the horizon for many Teesside businesses
When asked how attendees planned to grow their businesses over the next 5 years, the majority of responses said they would look for new opportunities. Diversifying into new industry sectors and launching new services and innovations were the most popular responses, as many organisations have identified how they can extend their expertise to best position their business for future success.
Local ambitions to strive for net zero
We also asked local businesses if they had their own targets for carbon reduction or net zero. Overwhelmingly, 67% of businesses already have plans in place, with a further 17% planning to introduce similar environmental targets.
Securing the right talent to ensure future success
Finally, we asked organisations what they felt their biggest people challenge would be for their business now and over the next 5 years.
83% of the organisations who took part in our survey said their main concern was the availability of suitable candidates for the specialist and technical roles they will need to fill. With other businesses highlighting concern with adequate skilled talent to allow for succession planning and career progression within their current workforce.
NRL’s North East team have worked with organisations for over 30 years, to develop robust workforce solutions that ensure businesses have the right people to meet their requirements now and well into the future.
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