Millennial Graham Unwin set up his painting and decorating company three years ago in Gateshead. Since then, and despite covid, he has established a successful business with work including hotel chains and the local authority.

There's an acute shortage of skilled workers in the North East of England, not just because of Brexit but because younger workers are ‘chasing the money’ down south where there's a lot of construction and building work. Skilled workers are in such demand that young men, attracted by high wages, are prepared to live out of a suitcase and away from their families for double the wages.

Graham shares his work experiences with one of his loyal employees, 65-year old Alan Oliver, who always wanted to work closer to home and is now planning to reduce his working days after 50 years as a painter and decorator.

Both agree that the South Shields/Newcastle communities have never recovered from the closure of mines, steel works and shipyards in the 1980s and there is little evidence of the Government’s levelling up policies.

Even though house prices are half as much as those in the South, high interest rates and inflation have forced Graham and his family to pull out of a house sale because of high mortgage repayments.

Series Producer: Sara Parker
Sound Mixer: Tom Brignell
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4 Show less