BLAKE ROBINSON has been appointed operations manager at the North East Chamber of Commerce's training company, NECC Training Limited.

The role will see him co-ordinate a range of academic and practical learning at NECC's nine training centres stretching from Hexham, in Northumberland, to Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The chamber's training company, which carries out a number of contracts for the Learning and Skills Council, has a turnover of more than £7m and has more than 2,500 learners on courses each year.

It has been responsible for getting more than 9,000 people into employment in the past nine years.

Mr Robinson, 33, worked with AA Insurance Services in Newcastle before moving to NYEL - now known as Unipres - a parts supplier to Nissan.

After completing a shopfloor apprenticeship, he took up a training role overseeing modern apprentices at the company.

He worked with training providers and colleges before becoming works manager at the Sunderland Engineering Training Association's training centre.

Mr Robinson's move to NECC will broaden his influence over the training and education of thousands of the North-East's future workforce.

Outside work, he was a DJ in some of the North-East's nightspots for 14 years before hanging up his headphones and putting his collection of 18,000 records into storage.

He lives in Great Lumley, County Durham, and is based at NECC's Aykley Heads headquarters.