I had a terrific visit to JCB yesterday with Bridget Phillipson and Samantha Niblett.
Creating a thriving economy with well-paid jobs needs the skills to match. Not just at the early start of working life, but throughout it.
As the Local Enterprise Partnership, D2N2 brings its responsibilities and expertise into our new combined authority. I will enhance the work they have done with Boot Camps for skills and the Careers Hub to make sure we prioritise those economically inactive to get them back into work. Partnering with the NHS as it continues to offer its free NHS health check to those aged 40 plus, I will offer a free skills check too. We will make sure that people are not just given health support but skills support to keep them working. An holistic and collaborative approach to make sure our people are fit, healthy and skilled for the future.
My focus to grow the local economy recognises that we will need a vast number of highly-skilled workers to support our greener economy – from retrofitting, to low carbon house building, to nuclear skills and more. My Green Growth Fund will support those new skills and harness investment from the private sector so we share those ambitions and gains.
As we focus on lifelong learning, I am aware that we often don’t prepare our children for the variety of skills they will need to navigate the world of work and life. As Mayor, I will help by bringing businesses in to work with our Careers service to focus on the transferrable and collaborative skills needed from a young age not just when they enter work.