IT was entirely a coincidence that the morning after the first episode of new documentary series The Mighty Redcar was shown on BBC2, The Northern Echo published its latest article on our My Future is Durham partnership with Durham County Council.

The link might seem tenuous, but ultimately the themes are similar – how to make sure future generations can aspire to skilled employment on their home turf.

In The Mighty Redcar, the scale of that challenges is all too obvious. Kaitlyn hopes to pass her GCSEs and go to drama school so she can make her mam proud, but is looking to study in London, Liverpool or Manchester. Dylan wants to make it big in the music world so he can bring his younger brother up to live with him in Redcar, but is filmed travelling to London to meet record executives and then in New York for next week’s show.

And then there is James, who wants to get his head down, graft and have a laugh with his mates, but is teetering on the edge of right and wrong. With his dad in jail and a cousin convicted of a stabbing, he admits there are “magnets” pulling him one way and another, good and bad. The show follows his unsuccessful attempts to find work, with support from a council worker and mentor.

The closure of the steelworks was addressed early, and although many would argue that the circumstances of the town and its young residents are a direct consequence of the industry’s collapse, the programme isn’t really about the steelworks.

It’s about the struggles of parents to give their children a better life than they had, how young people desperate to forge their own path can break out of poverty, how effective the support available is to people in need, and the importance of making the right personal choices.

FOR those not familiar with Redcar, other than as the backdrop to a Second World War battle in Atonement, hopefully the warmth, humanity and hope of those involved shone through.

As the town’s MP Anna Turley quite rightly says, a lot of those in the Westminster bubble simply do not understand the barriers young people face. Watching as James described the torment of wanting to do the right thing, but constantly having temptation thrust into his path was heartbreaking. So was the look on Kaitlyn’s mam’s face when she heard university fees would be £9,000 a year.

It was clear there is no lack of aspiration in Redcar. It is the means and opportunity that are missing, and that is where the government can do so much more with extra support for young people from low income families wanting to continue in education.

Gathering private sector investment is also key. The South Tees Development Corporation and its plans for a centre of manufacturing excellence on the old SSI site could transform employment prospects in the area. There is no easy fix, but The Mighty Redcar at least shines a light on these issues for the whole country to see.

My Future is Durham aims to show young people anything is possible in their county. Children in Redcar – and across the rest of the North-East – must believe the same, and it must be true.