March 2017

WARWICKSHIRE MEANS BUSINESS

Welcome from Councillor Izzi Seccombe

Welcome to the March edition of Warwickshire Means Business, an issue which, I am delighted to say, brims with positive news.

We are very excited to have just been allocated another £42.4million of Growth Deal money by the Government. This will enable us to advance a number of projects to stimulate the local economy and create jobs for local people.

High on the list of those projects is one to help regenerate Nuneaton town centre. Warwickshire County Council is working hard towards this objective and the Growth Deal funding will help to unlock the further funding needed to create an infrastructure that will enhance the town for residents and visitors but also for people to do business.

Also very exciting is the news that Warwickshire has one of the fastest growing economies in the country. A report compiled by our economist Sam van de Schootbrugge has revealed that Warwickshire has the fastest-growing productivity growth of any local authorities of comparable size in the country.

That is real testament to the skills and work-ethic which underpin our business community and it is particularly encouraging to see the growth spanning all sectors. This county has long been a leader in the digital and automotive industries but the recent growth is general. Since 2012, all our industries have grown on average by 13.8%, higher than the West Midlands (10.9%) and the UK (11.4%). Our manufacturing sector has seen a 37.5% increase in output - more than three times the average UK growth-rate.

To such a backdrop it is no surprise that the county is attracting many prestige companies from overseas, the likes of Ubisoft, EDAG and, most recently, Detroit Electric and their £1.5bn investment in the region.

It is a real success story and at Warwickshire County Council we are proud to played our part with our range of business support programmes which are very much ongoing.

Another factor in our favour in this county is a talented young workforce which is  equipped with the skills to hit the ground running in their chosen careers. Enabling young people to have the best possible springboard into employment is another high priority for us so it was very pleasing to see Warwickshire County Council named in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the country.

There are currently 62 young people on apprenticeships within the county council, following in the footsteps of many who have gone before, a good proportion of whom now bring their talent to the council on a permanent basis.

We also work hard to encourage other businesses to take the apprenticeship route. Since September 2013, our Apprenticeship Hub has engaged with 382 businesses regarding apprenticeships, leading to the recruitment of 245 apprentices by Warwickshire businesses with Hub support.

Apprentice are the lifeblood of future success. And I think it's fair to say that, on all the recent evidence, the future for Warwickshire businesses in general, is encouragingly bright.

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