The Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) has outlined three recommendations in a new report to help the area make the most of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper.
The document was published in February by the Government with four objectives to boost productivity, pay, jobs, and living standards; spread opportunities and improve public services; restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging; and empower local leaders and communities in the UK.
The Levelling Up White Paper is the focus of the latest CWLEP Growth Hub SmartRegion report which collects information from its business engagements as well as from CWLEP, Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and other organisations.
Sarah Windrum, Chair of CWLEP, believes levelling-up should be about tackling regional and local disparities in investment, enterprise, and growth as well as addressing the challenge of social mobility to make a real difference to people’s lives.
Measurements of local economic performance are now gathered through the new Coventry and Warwickshire SmartRegion Data Dashboard, which was created during Covid-19 as part of CWLEP’s Strategic Reset Framework to bring together the most up-to-date information around the economic impact of the pandemic.
The report also highlights programmes such as Warwickshire County Council’s ‘Fair Chance Employment’, giving businesses the guidance they need to take different approaches to recruitment and support people into work who have previously struggled to access jobs.
Coventry City Council’s Job Shop and Employer Hub continues to support businesses with their recruitment needs and matching those furthest from the labour market with accessing new employment, training and apprenticeship opportunities.
Sarah said the onus was on Coventry and Warwickshire’s private and public sectors to continue working together to give levelling-up real meaning for Coventry and Warwickshire.
She said: “For me, apprenticeships are the number one priority for levelling-up. I have seen in my own technology business what value apprenticeships bring and I have also seen what a powerful tool they are for social mobility.
“I recently visited MIRA’s Technology Institute, which was delivered in partnership with North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, and I was completely blown away. Someone can walk through the door knowing nothing and, if they have the passion and dedication and are not afraid of hard work, the opportunity is there for them to follow a clear pathway of technical education to leave as a global expert in their field.
“My second priority is wider opportunities for private investors to contribute to our eco-system without having to have millions in the bank! Many business leaders who have run a company for a while have a passion for supporting future entrepreneurs and we need to find a way to tap into that at a Coventry and Warwickshire level.
“And, third, is to work more closely and honestly with employers to understand and really support Fair Chance Employment and workplace well-being in the long term. There are great initiatives for us to build on and we need to continue to engage and listen to businesses and share knowledge in a way they readily understand and identify with.
“Many of the well-being programmes I engaged with as an employer needed translation from the language of public health into the language of workplace culture. With this, as with everything else, we will achieve greater positive impact if we work closely together, and we respect and trust each other.”
Craig Humphrey, Managing Director of the CWLEP Growth Hub, said it was important to maximise the opportunities from the Levelling Up White Paper for the benefit of all of Coventry and Warwickshire.
He said: “Warwickshire is delivering a range of projects supporting Levelling-up and enabling future economic growth including the £140 million Warwickshire Recovery and Investment Fund to stimulate the economy, support growth in our future growth sectors, help local businesses expand and grow, and create new jobs right across the county.
“Coventry City Council’s Investment Fund, Innovation Grants and Green Business Programme along with the Duplex Fund are all supporting Coventry and Warwickshire businesses to accelerate their growth and innovation plans and create new quality jobs and enhance longer-term competitiveness and resilience.
“To support manufacturing, the Government is looking to extend and increase £24 million worth of additional funding into the Made Smarter programme which the CWLEP Growth Hub has been leading on in the West Midlands so there are many positive projects underway.”
Caption: Sarah Windrum, Chair of CWLEP