CAREERS campaign Aspire is stepping up its efforts to encourage employers to invest in young people by targeting a different industrial sector each month.

The campaign aims to ease the North-East's skills shortage by raising the aspirations of young people and encouraging employers to offer opportunities.

It is targeting automotive, energy and environment, process, digital and creative, healthcare and health sciences, and tourism industries.

The sectors have been identified by One NorthEast as facing skills shortages.

The document also predicts that, while 70,000 jobs will be created during the next decade, only about 40 per cent of young people in the region believe they will get the job they want.

Aspire has recruited the Benfield Motor Group to offer opportunities to young people through a training programme.

The company has 25 dealerships in the North-East and Yorkshire and employs more than 1,200 people.

Mary Coyle, chief executive of Aspire - set up by the North-East Chamber of Commerce - said she hoped more employers would follow the example of Benfield and back the campaign.

"As I have said before, not all companies can offer the same level of training, but what they can do is give new employees the chance to focus on personal development with the scope to climb the career ladder," she said.

"But it is of no use if companies have career opportunities available if those leaving education aren't aware of their existence.

"By the end of the year, we hope to have helped those sectors in most need of young recruits.

"We'll get the message out there and encourage as many businesses as possible to engage directly with young people through schools as students are beginning to make those all-important career decisions."