Employability and Enterprise: Evidence from the North East

The paper uses data gathered from both the demand and supply side in the North East. Insights are gained from two studies of owner-managers of small businesses and one study of the five universities in the North East of England, to characterise enterprising skills as a new employability skills set. Whilst there is a plethora of studies which consider different aspects of employability, such as employability representing the capabilities of being employed for a job, and a growing recognition of the difference between 'old' and 'new' employability skills sets required to compete with an increasingly flexible labour market, there is a lack of studies that have unpacked the key aspects of this new employability skills set. This paper addresses this gap. The paper concludes by presenting an employability policy outline that could be used by bodies such as Regional Development Agencies to ensure that individuals are equipped with the skills to cope with, and flourish in, the changing conditions of the labour market.