ENGINEERS across the North-East are being urged to join the jobs and investment bonanza about to take place in the vehicle manufacturing supply chain.

More than 10,000 jobs will be created by firms in the region’s automotive supply chain over the next decade, industry experts predict, as part of 50,000 jobs being created UK-wide.

Those eye-catching figures offer a “massive opportunity to businesses in the North-East,” said Paul Butler, chief executive of the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), which yesterday held its first expo.

The sold-out event at the Sunderland Stadium of Light brought together more than 250 delegates from the automotive sector including buyers travelling to the region from Jaguar Land Rover’s headquarters in Coventry.

The North-East’s automotive industry is responsible for £7 billion in annual sales and directly employs 26,000 people, said Mr Butler, adding: “We thought it was vital that we communicated the message about the region’s strengths in this sector. Firms in the south of the country may only associate us with Nissan, but our automotive sector runs much deeper than that, we have a wide range of suppliers and a regional skills base that offers opportunities for future growth.”

Mr Butler encouraged regional engineering firms to look at ways they can join the automotive sector, and said NEAA was there to help break down barriers to entry, offer expert advice, and help tap into funding.

Among the speakers at the NEAA event were Local Growth and Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton; Mike Matthews, managing director of Teesside-based car parts maker Nifco UK, and John Cant of DS Smith, who spoke about how his company moved into supplying the automotive sector, which now accounts for 100 per cent of the firm’s business.

Mr Wharton, said: “The North East and Teesside’s strong and thriving automotive industry is a key part of creating a Northern Powerhouse and has enormous potential to bring further growth and jobs to the local economy.

“The Government is determined to rebalance the economy and I want our businesses to tap into the opportunities this industry offers to ensure the future success of Teesside and the North-East.”