A North-East training company has set its sights on expanding its export market following a three-month secondment to Norway.

The trip was backed by Trade Partners UK and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Action in Management, of Durham, has already successfully exported its interactive drama training programmes to more than a dozen countries and recently took part in the Finland Export Explorer programme run on behalf of Trade Partners UK by Business Link Tyne andWear.

In addition, projects manager Shaun Curry has just returned to the UK after a three-months secondment with BP in Stavangar, Norway, supported by the DTI's International Technology Service secondment programme.

John Williams, Trade Partners UK International trade director, said: "A secondment can offer an ideal opportunity to get to know potential customers."

Mr Curry, who lives in Washington, Wearside, said: "As projects manager I visit client companies, research and write scenarios used in our training programmes, review them and put training programmes together.

"We'd already done some work in Norway linked to safety management in the oil industry and I found the way they worked and the maturity of their safety culture was slightly ahead and more advanced than here in the UK.

"So with the help of Trade Partners UK and Business Link County Durham we approached the DTI for help with the secondment so we could study their working practices and pass on best practice to UK companies.

"The whole experience has been really useful on several levels. From a business perspective it allowed me to step outside and see how others do things, and from a personal perspective it introduced me to a new culture and new way of life."