“ YES , THERE ’ S A REASON WHY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR WORK , BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES , PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO CAN BE FLEXIBLE AND TRY DIFFERENT OPTIONS .”
Paul Howell MP has a bright outlook for Aycliffe Business Park . with .
“ Ben has set up online briefings to open up the supply chain - it ’ s not just about Teesside , it ’ s about local . Opportunities are there for local businesses in our patch to get involved and become part of the supply chain .
“ Don ’ t just look at it and say ‘ it ’ s Teesside , that ’ s not for us ’. You might not be a business that specialises in making wind turbines , but who puts the carpets down in their offices or make the bits that go into turbines etc ? Think of the bigger picture , and let ’ s seize these opportunities .
“ Using platforms like Aycliffe Business and Aycliffe Today , I want to spread the word that there are some exciting openings for our businesses . I am passionate about the need to localise supply chains wherever possible and continually push ministers for more Buy British or Buy Local campaigns and am massively irritated when Governments or local authorities source elsewhere when they have choices .”
While things are taking giant leaps forward on a local level , Paul ’ s Conservative links have opened up a direct line of communication with the big guns in Whitehall ahead of major announcements being made .
“ The opportunity to talk and engage with senior ministers and secretaries of state has been incredible and I will also be forming a business club which I would hope to get some of them to attend and hopefully get the opportunity for our business people to contact directly ,” he reveals .
“ Well before the shortlist was announced for Treasury North and Darlington was on there with Leeds and Newcastle , myself and my colleagues were onto the chancellor to urge him to go for a town rather than a city . For that chosen town to be seven miles from Aycliffe is fantastic .
“ Civil servants need to understand life outside of the city landscape . They ’ re used to jumping on a train that runs every three minutes . They need to understand what it ’ s like to wait for a half hourly bus , that may not come , basically to understand the difference in infrastructure .
“ There will be 750 jobs coming up here , but not 750 people . There may be 150 move up , and the rest of the positions are for us .
This will be an opportunity to get involved in a major department of state for the UK , working directly with senior decision makers right here on our doorstep in Darlington .
“ It ’ s just fantastic news , and again , we must seize the opportunity .”
With the prospect of a better summer looming and light at the end of the tunnel getting closer , Paul is keen to get the message out for people to stay positive .
“ We ’ re coming out of it now , we ’ ve come so far over the last year and I fully understand the doom and gloom and concern about the economy collapsing ,” said Paul .
“ I ’ ve spoken to JobCentre Plus and they ’ re incredibly positive . They ’ ve placed a record number of clients into work . Yes , there ’ s a reason why people are looking for work , but there are opportunities , particularly for those who can be flexible and try different options . “ Have a look at what opportunities are out there , look at the positives . If I had one message to get out there , it would be to keep the ‘ glass half full ’ attitude . Let ’ s make sure we come out of the other side in a far stronger position .”
Paul can be contacted via email at paul . howell . mp @ parliament . uk
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