The North East England Chamber of Commerce - which looks after around 3,000 businesses - has launched a campaign for ‘a stronger North East’. Mike Hughes asked Head of Policy Rachel Anderson what it all means for Teessiders.

The problem for chambers of commerce around the country is that their regions can be very ‘North-South’, with ingrained rivalries and differing strategies leading to success in some areas and struggles a few miles away.

So, just like the North-east then, with Teesside taking an early grip of devolution and reaping the rewards from investors and Government, while further up the A19 the region is still paying the price for delaying because it couldn’t quite bring itself to be selfless.

Rachel Anderson has to maintain a delicate balance as the chamber’s Head of Policy, as she offers lifelines to one sector and invests in growth for another, and she knows that as well as businesses looking to the NEECC for guidance there are thousands of young people who need information to help them decide what their next step should be.

Devolution differences

“It has been a worry for us,” she admits.

“Everyone has been so impressed by how the Tees Valley has come together politically and the spirit of co-operation with an eye always on the prize, and that has spurred on model selsewhere because it is an exemplar of what can be achieved.

“We should be just about there with the North of Tyne deal and while we would have preferred a deal for the North because of the no-man’s land in the middle at the moment, we need the politicians to make the case to the public about having a devolution deal that will deliver economic generation - and what else could be done if the deal is turned down.

“We have a negotiating starting point, we will get there, and there is a willingness in DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) to look at the deals on offer.”

Teesside’s Mojo

Middlesbrough as seen from the Transporter Bridge

She said recently that Teesside has its ‘Mojo’ back, so has that made a difference to the region?

“There is absolutely no reason why anything can’t come here. For a long time this area has sat back and waited for the offer to come that says ‘we think this would be good for you’, but now we know what we need and what the region is capable of. There are real opportunities to be world-leading, particularly in things like the circular economy and using products rather than sticking them in an incinerator. As the Government’s focus on plastics shows, and our links with the chemicals industry, this could be a real game-changer for the Tees Valley because we have the expertise here to go to the Government with answers, thanks to a shift in attitude that is making a big difference.

The future of the SSI site

“I was there the day we lost steel and I never want to be in a meeting like that again, but I believe we are capable of turning such a negative into a major positive and the masterplan is the right one, and while there will be a lot of arguing over what we put where, there is a huge chance to see where the Tees Valley is going in the future. We have the potential of things like Wilton, Carbon Capture and Sirius Minerals giving us a unique possibility on a site with so much deep water river frontage, probably the only site in the world like that.

“There will be investors battering our doors down to make it happen and bring sustainable jobs here.”

How can you help?

“We represent businesses from the Nissans and Semcorps to the one-man window cleaning firm and all points inbetween. I make it my business to meet those businesses and try to represent their interests, from supplying services to taking their individual concerns and opportunities and presenting them to the decision-makers, locally and nationally.

“For instance, it may seem like a ridiculous lobby to say we want £150m to move Darlington station 150 yards to the left, but our members have told us that swift access to markets is absolutely key and if we don’t do the realignment at Darlington, we won’t get HS2 here. We understand how Government and the decision-makers work and know that if we want something in 20 years we need to lobbying for it now on behalf of businesses who might not have the impact in their own.”

Lessons from Carillion

A general view of Carillion plc offices in Wolverhampton
A general view of Carillion plc offices in Wolverhampton

“It can be a good idea to get firms involved in such projects because there is always room for collaboration between public and private. Sometimes the private sector has that knowledge base that the public sector just doesn’t.

“But I don’t think we have even begin to see what the Carillion fall-out will be, and it is not the time for knee-jerk reactions, so we are looking closely at what the impact may be in this area on things like supply chains and I think everybody is going to take a bit of a breath, step back and ask what lessons we can learn.

“For now, we are still in the Accident & Emergency part of it all.”

Do we have enough skills?

“At the point of delivery with skills, we probably have a really good provision, with places like Middlesbrough College and the STEM centre because they understand the market. We need to make one or two improvements with schools, but overall that is good as well.

“Where we see room for improvement is in top-quality careers advice with the business community being very visible to parents and youngsters, and in the reforms to the apprenticeship system which probably isn’t what we want it to be at the moment.

“We have seen a drop in numbers and there is a challenge to Teesside employers to get their heads around the new system and step up to pay for things they had been getting for free. There also needs to be some frank conversation with Government about how it is working, but if you don’t want a skills gap in ten years’ time - or even five years - you have to start employing and training apprentices.”

Why should our young people stay?

“There has never been a better time to build a career here, with the critical mass of companies and the opportunities that will be available in new industries. You can have a quality of life here that is second to none, with rising wages, and the most diverse economy in the Tees Valley that we have ever had.”