Shaping 2025: Building Northumberland’s future workforce together

During the event, there was a genuine sense of belonging in the room, which was particularly notable given the number of new faces and organisations in attendance.

This positive atmosphere was reflected in the open and constructive discussions that took place at each table, highlighting the community’s shared commitment to driving meaningful change.

One of the key reflections from the event was the importance of ensuring Connect Northumberland remains focused on employer- driven needs.

This means designing future bite-sized training offers based on employer feedback, while also considering the innovative workplace interventions businesses plan to implement over the next three years.

Additionally, Lightning Talks, which continue to be a popular feature, could be further developed to provide more practical, solution- based content tailored to employers’ specific challenges.

Another valuable insight was the recognition that many examples of best practice within the community often remain hidden unless prompted through conversation.

The event centred on addressing Northumberland’s unique workforce development challenges, particularly those linked to its geography and demographics.

By fostering employer collaboration and ensuring workforce development is guided by local needs and community voices, Connect Northumberland aims to create a more resilient and dynamic employer community.

Event manager Zoe Maylam opened and closed proceedings, with directors Caroline Theobald and Ian Ritchey sharing Connect Northumberland’s vision, mission and impact.

Chief executive Liz Mayes presented plans for the future, and sought feedback from attendees to inform the next phase of the initiative.

Event host Mark Brassell, chief executive of Alnwick Garden, talked about how it values people as the heart of the organisation.

Keynote speaker John Barnes, executive headteacher of Seaton Valley Federation, inspired the room with a thought-provoking address on how to retain young people in the county and build a thriving future workforce.

He reflected on the region’s recruitment challenges, education/workplace links and the mental health struggles facing young people post-COVID-19.

He also highlighted how transport barriers and work experience gaps continue to affect schools and employers.

His call for employer/school partnerships and apprenticeship expansion resonated strongly with the audience.

His speech helped set the stage for engaging discussions on how to turn ideas into action for the benefit of Northumberland’s economy and its communities.

Two key questions explored by employers

During roundtable discussions, employers shared valuable insights in response to two core questions:

What do you think needs to be done to retain and attract young people, especially from further or higher education?

Key themes from employer feedback:

• Promoting Northumberland as a career destination: Employers discussed how branding Northumberland as a destination with great career opportunities and lifestyle benefits could help attract and retain talent. They emphasised the importance of marketing Northumberland as an exciting place to work and live, similar to how major companies like Tesla or Google build employer brands.

• Shared apprenticeships and graduate schemes: Many employers supported the idea of shared apprenticeships or graduate schemes, where businesses collaborate to develop talent pipelines.

• Interactive career awareness in schools: Employers highlighted the need to engage students as early as Year 7 through site visits, career expos and employer speed-networking sessions to showcase job opportunities in

the region. There was also interest in the use of technology to provide ‘virtual visits’ and support schools career advice with digital resources.

• Transport and housing support: Improving transport infrastructure, affordable housing and even exploring support for driving lessons or e-bike funding were raised as critical barriers to young people entering the workforce.

• Early awareness campaigns: Participants emphasised raising awareness of local careers early by embedding employer talks into schools and running engaging social media campaigns aimed at young people.

What do you think needs to be built on our existing offer?

Key themes from employer feedback:

• Accreditation and certification: There was broad support for exploring formal accreditation for programmes like Connect Northumberland’s mini exec-MBA and Management Essentials, though some employers had mixed views on how accreditation might impact programme flexibility and accessibility.

• Expanded digital offerings: Employers were keen to see more targeted technical training, such as modules on data integration, artificial intelligence applications, project management and digital forensics.

• Bite-sized and flexible courses: Shorter, flexible courses that are easier to commit to were seen as valuable, particularly for time- constrained businesses.

• Alumni engagement and mentoring: Employers supported building a stronger alumni network, where past participants could mentor, teach and engage with current programme participants, helping to share best practices across businesses.

• Leadership and interpersonal skills: Suggestions for future modules included intergenerational understanding, reverse mentoring, public speaking coaching and health and wellbeing training.

• Employer/school collaboration: Employers suggested closer links with schools through work experience placements, curriculum- linked projects and interactive industry showcases where young people can engage directly with employers.

Additional insights for future consideration

During discussions, employers also highlighted key themes that extended beyond the two main questions.

They included:

• Support for the economically inactive: Employers stressed the need for more entry-level job pathways, supported internships and apprenticeships tailored for economically inactive individuals and those with special educational needs and disabilities.

• Sector-specific partnerships: Businesses expressed interest in co-designing training programmes with colleges and universities, to ensure the curriculum reflects the skills employers need.

• Work experience checklists and simple processes: To streamline employer/school collaborations, companies suggested developing placement checklists and clear guidelines on offering work experience.

• Data-driven decisions: Employers encouraged using data to measure the impact of Connect Northumberland’s initiatives and tracking milestones over time.

• Building a collective employer voice: The group agreed on the importance of shared advocacy and visibility for Northumberland’s employers, ensuring their collective voice is heard by regional and national stakeholders.

Reflections for 2025

Connect Northumberland is reflecting on the insights from this event and exploring ideas for how the network can make an even greater impact in 2025.

The valuable input gathered will help shape future discussions with employers, education partners and policymakers, ensuring Northumberland’s workforce development initiatives remain collaborative, data-driven and community-focused.