Evening Chronicle

Learner's Honour

A STAR apprentice from building services and green energy specialist John N Dunn Group is among the front-runners to scoop one of the industry's highest accolades. Apprentices across the region excelling in their studies are gearing up to compete for the highest honour of Apprentice of the Year at the HVCA awards.

Graduates Join Creative Team

CREATIVE agency Blumilk has brought in three recruits thanks to the Chronicle. Joining the Newcastle-based company as creative juniors are Katie Gray, 23, Dave Kingett, 26, and Helena Reed, 23.

Building Bright Future ; Teenage Apprentice Wins National Award for Brickwork Skills

ACOLLEGE student has landed a national award for his brickwork skills. Peter Kelly has taken the top spot at the Guild of Bricklayers National Final 2009.

Awards Show Best Employers

MOTIVATING staff is not always an easy job, especially in today's economic climate. But firms that have managed to keep their workforce enthused and driven often find themselves quickly on the trail of success. Now those businesses can win a top accolade to celebrate their efforts at next year's North East Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development HR awards.

Founding Member Matt Returns Home

CREATIVE agency Guerilla is celebrating the return of a prodigal son who has rejoined the company he originally helped to set up. Matt Clark - a founding member of the Newcastle firm - has returned to take up the role of head of design after a stint working as senior designer and design manager for Gardner Richardson.

From the Rooftops!

A TERRITORIAL Army soldier who served in Iraq is literally shouting from the rooftops about her new business, which helps people to manage events and parties online. Emma Williams, from Cramlington, Northumberland, recently set up new business Justbooked to help groups organise the payment for events such as stag weekends and Christmas parties.

Stephanie's Win Deal

A GLASS artist who previously created a gift for Princess Anne has clinched a deal to produce the trophies for the region's top business awards for women. Stephanie Moore has won the contract to design the eight prizes for the upcoming North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Springing Into a New Venture

ANEW health and safety company has been set up by grandma Lynn Mohan after she fell victim to the recession. Lynn, 56, teamed up with Wales-based Keith Humphreys, 50, to launch SpringBoard Safety Services.

A Day in the Life ...

CATHERINE Marchant is the chief executive of Young Enterprise North East, the region's longest-standing enterprise education provider. 6.30am: It's an unusually early start today as this is the only time I have managed to squeeze in a phone call with the chairman of Young Enterprise North East. He's a very busy man!

Confidence Rises ; Most Senior Executives Seeing Signs of Recovery, Says Survey

CONFIDENCE among UK businesses has reached its highest level for more than 18 months, with a new poll showing that more than half of senior executives claim to have already seen signs of recovery. The survey, by KPMG, also shows that almost a fifth view the prospects for British business over the next 12 months as "good" or "very good" - compared with fewer than one in 10 who felt such optimism in the previous quarter.

Helping Staff to Develop Skills

SENIOR executives across the North East are set to benefit from a suite of qualifications developed by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). The new range of qualifications have been created in response to research and consultation, showing that the majority of employees want to develop their skills with a support network of coaches and mentors. The qualifications range from the Level 3 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring (equivalent to ALevels) through to the Level 7...

Take Science Out of the Classroom ; Industry and University Experts Lead Workshops for College Students

TYNEMET College in North Tyneside has welcomed some of the region's top universities and representatives from industry to deliver a series of workshops celebrating science achievements in the North East. The celebration event was the second in a series of workshops at TyneMet to highlight the wider applications of academic subjects outside of the classroom.

Career ; Advertisement Feature

EVENTS over the past 12 months or so have caused a lot of debate. Among them are changes to the economy and changes to business. One positive talking point has been the launch of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) in April this year, signalling the beginning of an exciting new era for apprenticeships in England. Building on the good work that went before it, NAS is working tirelessly to support the growth of world-class apprenticeships.

The Light Fantastic ; Pounds 10,000 Worth of Prizes Up for Grabs in Reader Photo Competition

THIS picture shows how our readers are proud to live and work in the North East. That's why we've been inviting them to take a photo that shows how much you Love Where You Live.

Knock-On Effect

EVERY time you recycle aluminium drinks cans, empty aerosols and clean foil, you're helping to grow fruit trees in Malawi, tackling deforestation where it's really needed and providing good food for the local people. As the trees grow and cropping improves, it is planned to launch small community businesses to dry and juice the fruits.

Your Stars

YOU have a touch of arrogance to your chart, which can be used in a positive or a negative way. Use the latter and you'll be kicking yourself tomorrow. Strive for greatness and success. CALL MY ARIES LINE TO HEAR MORE 0904 470 0721 I KNOW that work is proving harder than you would like it to be at the moment. Trust me when I tell you that I can see the finishing line. Over time bring it even closer.

Grease Is the W Rd ; All-Girl Cast Wow Audiences with High-Energy Show

A THEATRICAL group of students have been wowing audiences with their energetic production of the hit musical Grease. Strutting their stuff as T-birds and Pink Ladies, the girls from Newcastle Church High School received a standing ovation from the packed auditorium at Newcastle College on their opening night, following several months of rehearsals.

Book Reviews

Twilight Stephenie Meyer Atom pounds 6.99 Seventeen-year-old Bella has just moved from Phoenix to Washington. She's moved high school, too, and there she meets a boy called Edward Cullen, who Finding Violet Park Jenny Valentine Harpercollins pounds 5.99 If you found an urn of ashes in the office of your local taxi rank what would you do? Sixteen-year-old Lucas is intrigued too, The Spook's Apprentice Joseph Delaney Red Fox pounds 5.99 Thomas is the seventh son of a seventh son and is apprenti...

Parent to Parent

WITH the festive season approaching, national charity Parentline Plus has issued some tips for parents on how to handle the often nerve wracking issue of teenagers going off to parties. While this may be an exciting time for teenagers, it can be a very different story for anxious parents who worry what their children might get up to at unsupervised parties. Parentline Plus, which runs a social networking website for parents of teens - www.gotateenager.org.uk - and a confidential, 24-hour Pare...

Sports Names Drop in with Advice for School's Pupils

STUDENTS at the North East's newest academy are in good heart after receiving expert advice during a week-long scheme to boost their health and well-being. Bede Academy, in Blyth, Northumberland, welcomed some of the region's best-known sporting names to coach youngsters in an array of disciplines, from football and rugby to skipping, dance and basketball.