Business leaders urged to join skills debate at special meeting

July 11, 2018

Business leaders across Shropshire are being urged to help tackle some of the key skills issues facing the county’s employers at a special round-table event later this month.
Shropshire Business Board says the Shrewsbury meeting will pull together business representatives from across the county to discuss how to shape the future of training in the region.
The July 20 breakfast meeting – which is being staged in partnership with the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership – will cover key areas including apprenticeships, current training opportunities and skills shortages.
Mandy Thorn, chair of the Shropshire Business Board, said the meeting would help put businesses in the driving seat when it comes to developing future training and make sure their voices were heard over a vital issue.
“Both the business board and the Marches LEP have been working with employers to try to find out exactly what they need from training in the years ahead, and this event is a vitally important part of that process.
“We want to find out where the skills gaps are, the challenges faced by local businesses and how they view the apprenticeship system, particularly with regard to the Apprenticeship Levy.
“These discussions will feed directly into the LEP skills plan so that we can ensure everything we do is focused on helping businesses with their skills’ needs in the future.”
The meeting will include a screening of a special apprenticeship video put together by the LEP and the Marches Growth Hub, explaining just how vital apprenticeships are to the future of their businesses.
Currently only one fifth of companies in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Telford and Wrekin have apprenticeships, despite figures showing that each apprentice is estimated to deliver an average net gain of £1,637 a year to their employers.
A Government drive to recruit three million apprentices by 2020 is already being supported by the Marches LEP, which has secured £3million funding to develop three Advanced Manufacturing Hubs in the region, creating 2,700 apprenticeships.
The meeting at the Lord Hill Hotel will also hear from Shropshire Partners in Care chief officer Nicky Jacques on some of the training issues facing the care sector.
And Matthew Snelson, of Bridgnorth-based Grainger and Worrall, will talk about how a group of local businesses joined together to create the MCMT to support and develop apprenticeship opportunities.
To sign up for the event – which starts at 8.15am and is expected to last two hours – visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shropshire-business-boardmarches-lep-skills-round-table-tickets-46972908233

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The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership has now ceased trading and transferred all its functions to Shropshire Council working with Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council, in line with the UK Government's plans for devolution.

The Marches LEP was established in 2011 and hands over an impressive legacy from its 13-year life. In that time the LEP invested over £196m in projects across the Marches, securing in excess of £100m of match funding and supported more than 66,000 business interactions.

The schemes supported have made tangible differences to local communities, increasing skills, creating jobs and improving the physical appearance of many towns.

We would like to thank all the LEP Board Members who have given their time freely over the life of the LEP, as well as all the staff who worked for the LEP over the years. We also want to thank our delivery partners, local education providers and local, regional and national stakeholders who helped us achieve so much.

The Marches Growth Hub will continue to support businesses and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Each of the three Local Authorities will also continue to provide direct business support locally. Details of this support will be available through the Marches Growth Hub website and from the Local Authorities directly. Website: www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk | email: enquiries@marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

The Marches Careers Hub will continue to be delivered and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Website: www.marchescareershub.co.uk | email: info@marchescareershub.co.uk

For any queries about Getting Building Fund (GBF), Local Growth Fund (LGF) and Marches Investment Fund (MIF) projects supported by the Marches LEP please contact: gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk

For any finance queries please contact: michelle.hodgkiss@shropshire.gov.uk

The solvent liquidation of the Marches LEP is being managed by the Evelyn Partners Limited. For any matter related to this please contact: Camilla.Mulholland@evelyn.com

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