The five universities of the Northeast will today sign a collaborative venture to improve job prospects and quality of life in the region. The universities of Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside employ 15,000 people and generate Pounds 500 million for the local economy. The "Universities for the Northeast" partnership is designed to reflect a new approach to regional affairs signalled by next month's arrival of the Northeast Development Agency. A joint project to promote work-based lifelong learning through credits accumulated and transferred regionally has been set up.