TODAY'S trainees can expect to change career directions several times in a lifetime to face up to the challenge of a fast-changing business world.

"You have to think of doing things differently and try to get a fresh perspective on life," said Jules Preston, chief of Sunderland City Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) as he talked to successful NVQ candidates at the University of Sunderland.

The award winners are among 900 in the North being trained by Zodiac Training, which he congratulated on their training record and reputation established since the company's formation less than four years ago.

Post Office Contact Centre employee Angela Stoker told award winners and their families that Zodiac, the training provider which put her on the road to success, was currently dealing with 285 trainees at more than 80 companies on Wearside.

Jules Preston presented the awards to the young people - all of whom have jobs and learned key skills in telecommunications, retail, business administration and customer service.

He added: "I love giving awards and certificates because they are a remarkable achievement at any level."

He used Sunderland's shipbuilding industry to illustrate changing careerfortunes - and the need to adapt to the change.

"In 1900 Sunderland was the biggest shipbuilding town in the world. By 1984 all shipbuilding had finished," he said. "In 1946 IBM said there would never be more than eight computers in the world. That's how fast things change."