PLANS have been announced to improve the way the £500m invested every year on skills in the region is spent.
The North-East has published an action plan on skills to create a highly-skilled workforce.
A partnership between regional development agency One NorthEast, the Learning and Skills Council, the Government office and other agencies have put together a skills "hit list".
Reported levels of recruitment difficulties and skills shortages in the region are higher than the national average, with 18 per cent of employers in the North-East reporting job vacancies.
About ten per cent of workers also have "skills gaps", with some employees not being fully proficient in their jobs. Skills North-East, the action plan put together by the partnership, aims to increase businesses' investment in skills, and encourage people to achieve their aspirations.
It also aims to encourage the unemployed to access learning, and ensure everyone in the region is educated at least to level two - or GCSE level.
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