TEN organisations and individuals from across the North-East have reached the regional final of this year's National Training Awards.

The awards, run by UK Skills, on behalf of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, celebrate companies and individuals that achieve outstanding success through training and development.

Companies from the region in the final include:

* Amec Group Limited - Industrial Division, Darlington;

* Middlesbrough SCITT, Teesside;

* Newcastle City Council's city service;

* Responsive Engineering Group, Gateshead;

* Gentoo Group, Sunderland;

* Thermo Fisher Scientific, Cramlington; and

* The Specials Laboratory Ltd, Prudhoe.

Individuals that have been shortlisted include Chris Watt and Keith Copeland, from Sunderland, and Julie Embleton, from Ashington, Northumberland.