THE Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has set out its demands of the new Tees Valley mayor when he or she is elected in May.

It said creating the conditions for more and better jobs and giving people the skills to access them was the number one priority, while the new post provided the opportunity to deliver growth that benefitted everyone.

The charity pointed to a number of indicators showing how the Tees Valley lagged behind the rest of the country with more than 140,000 people regarded as ‘income deprived’ and more than one in four children living in poverty.

Unemployment is also above average and the average weekly wage (£496) lags behind the English average (£545).

JRF said where economic development created new jobs, action should be taken so that local people with barriers to the labour market could benefit, for example by brokering training and employment support packages.

It said that by working with local education authorities and schools the education attainment gap, particularly among children from low income backgrounds, could be closed.

There also needed to be a focus on creating quality apprenticeships and the mayor could develop an apprenticeship charter setting out standards.

JRF said within the mayor’s first hundred days, they should create a cabinet position with responsibility for inclusive growth and set ambitious targets to boost the employment rate.

It said by convening stakeholders across business, economic development, employment and skills providers, education and early years providers and other public service providers, a city-region wider strategy could be developed for solving poverty.

Katie Schmuecker, head of policy at JRF, said: “The Tees Valley has strong potential in a number of high-growth, high-paying sectors, but the mayor must use their powers, budget and influence to ensure everyone can share in the region’s revival.”