Skills the key for Gloucestershire, event told
Gloucestershire’s nascent Local Enterprise Partnership needs to focus on job creation and getting its message across to key employers, Insider’s Gloucestershire Economic Forum was told.
Suzanne Hall-Gibbins, director of Gloucestershire Chambers of Commerce, said: "Everything we do at a policy level has to be based around increasing employment numbers, because we're still a net exporter of economically active 25 to 49-year-olds. At a LEP and local authority level, addressing that has to inform what we do in future."
With pressure on universities to develop links with business and come to terms with a new age of austerity in education, Stephen Marston, vice-chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire, said there's a focus on providing a labour force that is right for employers.
He added: "We're spending a lot of time tinkering with courses and talking to businesses. Everyone says they want graduates with ‘good employability’ but what do they mean?"
David Owen, chief executive of place promotion agency GFirst, added: "There is a gap in vocational skills. We have a lot of highly educated people, and a large labour force at the lower end – but in areas like skilled manufacturing and engineering there’s a shortfall – the jobs are there, but the companies can't find the people."
There was widespread agreement that by and large, Gloucestershire's in a healthy position, with BPE managing partner John Workman speaking of the strength of a genuinely connected business community.
The panel was completed by Darren Lewington, operations director of Gloucestershire Airport, who talked of the airport's ambitious development plans.
The panel session was preceded by interviews with two successful local businesspeople, Alan Beresford of Omega Resource and Simone Hindmarch-Bye of Commercial.
She said: "There's an entrepreneurial culture and I've always found it a very open business community. And the value of huge events like the Cheltenham Festival shouldn’t be underestimated."
