Thames Valley Berkshire LEP has welcomed news that the Thames Valley Berkshire city region has been successful in its city deal bid.
The announcement was made on October 28 by Greg Clark, minister for cities, at a special event held at Reading Town Hall and attended by council leaders and representatives from across Berkshire.
So-called ‘city deals’ are special arrangements negotiated between central government and areas/cities that are given the powers and tools they need to drive local economic growth. Reading Borough Council was the lead authority in the region, driving forward the successful city deal bid on behalf of Thames Valley Berkshire city region.
Signatories are: Reading Borough Council, Bracknell Forest Council, Slough Borough Council, West Berkshire Council, The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham Borough Council and Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The Thames Valley Berkshire city deal centres around giving Berkshire’s young people the skills they need to access local job opportunities and helping local businesses to build the workforces they need to support growth.
A key part of the deal will be developing better pathways into work for young people through agencies working more efficiently and collaboratively underpinned by an innovative new mobile web platform ‘ElevateMe’ that has been funded by O2 and developed with young people themselves.
In addition, subject to a successful bid into the Wave 2 Business Growth Fund, the city deal bid will see government commit to provide investment for a Thames Valley Berkshire Business Growth Hub bringing coherence to the local business landscape, raising awareness and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of local and national business support schemes.
The Berkshire city deal aims include:
Steve Lamb, chair for Thames Valley Berkshire LEP, added: “The Thames Valley Berkshire city deal is a positive and exciting opportunity, not just for the local area but also for the sub region as it enhances ability to compete on a global level. It offers an unprecedented shift in control from Whitehall over the way in which our skills system works, so that we can make sure we have a highly-skilled workforce which corresponds with business needs in the region.”
Bristol engineering design consultants Hydrock has been acquired by Stantec. Hydrock has over 950 employees…
Plans from waterside developers Peel Waters to build a new business campus at Chatham Docks…
Europa Road has signed a contract with DPD Netherlands to run new daily line hauls…
Pure Human Resources, an HR, recruitment and training consultancy based in North Baddesley, Hampshire, is…
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved the near-team emissions reduction targets of medical…
Bagshot-based real estate investor and developer Sixpenny Group has acquired a 45,000 sq ft residential-led…