The north-eastern oil and gas industry has proved remarkably resilient in the economic storms of recent months, the chief executive of Nof Energy has claimed.

Speaking to the Northern Echo, George Rafferty said that while no sector will be able to escape the constraints of the current economic climate entirely, the regional oil and gas industry is likely to out-perform other sectors such as manufacturing and construction.

Nof Energy has more than 300 members in the north-east, including TTE Technical Training, which is the UK's largest training and development provider for the oil and gas industry.

Mr Rafferty iterated his commitment to building on training opportunities in the region to strengthen the foundations of the country's energy sector.

"We are holding an event in March showing secondary school pupils that if they want a life-long career in the energy industry and the oil and gas industry, they can have it," he told the paper.

Global Education and Training event for Oil and Gas: Refining and Petrochemicals