One NorthEast Chairman Officially Opens New Peterlee Office
Today Margaret Fay, Chairman of One NorthEast, officially launched Acumen and People Acumen’s new premises at the South West Industrial Estate in Peterlee.
Mrs Fay said: “The work done by Kate and her team at Acumen cannot be underestimated. Not only does the organisation target those people who are out of work and help them find sustainable employment, but it also works to boost skills levels, which is an essential element of the economic regeneration of our region.
“People Acumen has been created to address the unemployment issues in the County Durham area, and to also meet the needs of local employers looking to expand their workforce. But what’s exciting about it is that it doesn’t just aim to match out of work individuals with employers who are seeking staff, it also provides them both with support to ensure the match is as long lasting as possible.
“In effect, People Acumen is about promoting and driving sustainable economic growth, a key aim of the Regional Economic Strategy, and therefore I am delighted One NorthEast is supporting it.”
Acumen Development Trust was founded in 2003 to address the issues of economic inclusion and to provide a third sector solution to add to the public sector support available for learning, enterprise and employment.
In acknowledgement of the work it has done to reduce levels of unemployment and raise skills levels, particularly in the East Durham area, Acumen won the 2006 LSC Working in the Community Award for encouraging people into learning, while
Mrs Welch said: “We are pleased to have the opportunity to create a new social enterprise in the region which meets both the needs of individuals in our communities and also small employers.
“Today is a celebration of the success we have had so far in addressing economic inclusion and anticipation of an exciting and enterprising future.”
The work of the Acumen Development Trust is linked closely to the RES, which aims to reduce the proportion of the North East workforce which are currently economically inactive and increase employment rates to around 73 per cent – which means getting between 61,000 and 73,000 extra people into employment by 2016.