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TO raise the aspirations of young people in the county, highlight future career choices, and encourage them to stay within the county, #MYFUTUREISDURHAM has spoken to local people who have forged successful careers in the county.

These advocates provide real-life examples of what can be achieved, and act as role models for the next generation. The message will be taken into schools to engage directly with schoolchildren, teachers and parents, during week commencing May 20, as part of an initiative between Durham County Council and the Northern Echo.

John Campbell

As the co-founder of a successful North-East company, one of John Campbell’s aims is to pass on the help that he got when he was just starting out.

John was born in 1969, in Blackhill, Consett, and attended Benfieldside Infant and Junior School, and then Blackfyne Comprehensive.  Although he went on to sixth form to study maths, history and geography, he only stayed ‘a matter of weeks’ before leaving.

“I was 16 when I left school and I had no idea what I wanted to do,” says John. “Careers advice was limited, so I just applied for a variety of jobs.”

However, the careers office did contact him to tell him of a junior vacancy for a Lab Technician at Thomas Swan, a global chemical manufacturing company that John had never heard of, on the other side of Consett.

He got the job, and, during his five years with them, they enrolled him on a one-day-a-week BTEC Science course at New College Durham, and then an HNC Chemistry course at Newcastle Polytechnic.

“Although I was never particularly interested in chemistry at school, I enjoyed the courses, and I enjoyed the job I was doing,” remembers John. “But the most significant thing about my employment with Thomas Swan was the mentoring I received from people who had been there a long time, and were willing to invest time with me which gave me a good grounding.”

In 1991, John joined a soil and water testing lab that was acquired by Northumbrian Water. They funded him to study for an Honours Degree through day release at Northumbria University.

After meeting his wife Karan, another chemist, and moving into different roles, he was offered a managerial position, and they moved to Rugby, in the Midlands. It was a real opportunity for him, and a challenge for the next step in his career, which he enjoyed.

Having always planned to move back to the North-East, they returned to Consett in 1999 for John to work with a former colleague in a recently formed business.

“I never really intended to leave in the first place,” says John, “but the way the job situation and opportunities were then, I didn’t have a lot of choice.”

After a couple of years, John and Karan set up their own business and have been running Chemtech Environmental together since it was established in Consett in 2002.

From an initial staff of three, they now employ 42 people, with the prospect of doubling in size in the coming years, and have already moved into larger premises in Stanley.

Where possible, John tries to employ local people, and intends to keep his business in the North-East.  The intention in the future is to support some of his own talented workers through higher education, with the aim that they will contribute to the future of the company.

“It’s nice to give something back,” he says, “and, as an employer, I want to attract and nurture local talent, and create a skilled workforce that can in turn contribute to the local economy.  I also find it very encouraging that this message is going into schools to encourage them have aspirations for the future.”

In a funny twist of fate, John’s own eight-year-old daughter will be going on a school visit to Thomas Swan. Who knows where that might lead?

Click here to read more about the campaign