YET again the Government has turned its back on the North- East, this time turning down a university technical college plan for Aycliffe that would train up to 600 engineers a year for local companies (Echo, Feb 5).

Training apprentices for our future in engineering is vital if the region wants to obtain contracts for future developments.

The jobs are available. Hitachi and Gestamp Tallent between them want to recruit more than 1,000 employees.

However, the Newton Aycliffebased South West Durham Training (SWDT), working in partnership with Sunderland University, were kicked into touch by ministers who would not support a new university technical college proposal.

So much for all the Government’s spin about wanting to invest in the region’s future.

I am not from the region. In fact, I am from the South but in my early years it was always shown that the North-East was the heartland of manufacturing with ship building, heavy industry and mining all now lost through lack of on-going investment.

When will the Government wake up to the cries for help from the region, knowing full well that we have the highest unemployment in the UK, along with the skills that have been lost, and then turn down a plan that would have brought hope and employment to many?

At least SWDT are not giving up and hope to take on 200 apprentices each year.

The Government may snub the North-East but the region’s fighting spirit will pull it through.

John Merry, Darlington.