MANUFACTURING in the North-East has expanded in five consecutive quarters, according to research revealed today.
The research by manufacturers’ organisation EEF and financial services firm BDO showed that the continuing growth in the region was driven primarily by exports.
Firms are also looking to recruit, but their efforts are being hampered by a lack of suitably-trained workers, according to Jason Whitworth, a BDO partner based in the North-East.
He said: “On the back of healthy output and order books, the intention to recruit among manufacturers has remained strong.
“However, the key issue is whether companies are able to fill their vacancies with the highly-skilled workers they require.
“To ensure the UK retains its competitive edge, the Government must do more to emphasise education in engineering and manufacturing.”
The Manufacturing Outlook Survey showed that, over the past three months, output and new order balances in the region were +28 per cent and +30 per cent respectively, up from +25 per cent and +20 per cent in the previous three months.
This growth was driven largely by export markets.
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