THE usual assumption is that in an economic downturn, spending on staff training is one of the first budget lines to be cut.

It would be disingenuous to suggest that mentality had completely disappeared from the business community, but it has certainly been a lot less prevalent during the current recession.

In an era of global competition, the skill levels of a company’s workforce are a crucial factor in its strength.

Hence the innovative working arrangements many companies have adopted in order to avoid making staff redundant, and to take advantage of slower periods to continue training.

Businesses in the North-East are increasingly finding they can link up with high-quality training providers to achieve these aims.

This was highlighted last month, when Teesside University was deservedly named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards.

Teesside has led the country’s higher education institutions in developing ways of working with businesses. Exciting opportunities are being created for businesses to train and develop the existing skills of their staff and work with university experts to lay the foundations for future business success.

The NECC was itself recognised as a Grade 2 Learning Provider, after it demonstrated that learner success rates have significantly and consistently increased since 2006.

But while North-East businesses are more committed than ever to improving staff skills and have a better choice of excellent training providers than ever before, there are still issues holding the region’s skills investment back.

The Government agencies designed to connect the two are being overhauled at the worst possible time, with enormous confusion as to how the reforms will finally turn out.

The level of funding provided by Government in recent years is to be applauded, but in many cases, the process businesses have to go through to access these funds has been far too rigid. Ultimately, this has prevented our region’s businesses getting the skills investment they need, when it is needed.

Businesses and training providers are showing their commitment and engaging with each other to make this work. They need a system which lets them get on with a job they’re doing very well.

■ Martyn Pellew is the president of the North East Chamber of Commerce