Careers Hub<\/a> and its work to connect local schools and colleges with employers and apprenticeship providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBob also shared news that the LEP has reached an agreement with Berkshire Leaders\u2019 Group to continue to deliver core functions on their behalf from next April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat means we'll be able to maintain the quality of our programmes, ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities, and work in full collaboration\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think more than ever, Berkshire needs to be collaborative. I\u2019d like to see big and small businesses working together, building on our strengths and using our knowledge and skills to drive our economy forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA strong Berkshire is essential for a strong UK, and we\u2019re committed and proud to continue working as a catalyst for growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob handed over to Alison Webster, CEO of Berkshire LEP, who had more to say on the future role of the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe LEP is the oil that makes the Berkshire economy engine run smoothly\u201d, she explained. \u201cWe join things up across the six local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are some things that are appropriate to do a very local level, but others like business support, skills and transport infrastructure require pan-Berkshire initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, where other LEPs across the country have all but faded away since Westminster pulled the plug, Alison and the team will maintain a strong presence in the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That much is made clear in A New Start for Berkshire, which details plans to foster a \u2018good growth, good jobs\u2019 economy \u2013 not least through a concerted effort to encourage the thousands of over-50s furloughed during the pandemic back to the workplace over the coming years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also means investing in infrastructure, supporting businesses large and small, and developing skills through LEP initiatives like the bootcamps and Careers Hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur vision for good growth that delivers jobs, sustainability and inclusivity is the driving force behind every decision that we make\u201d, added Alison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a bit of a journey in front of us, but we\u2019re committed to delivering lasting value for Berkshire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guests then heard from keynote speaker Dave Coplin, onetime \u2018Chief Envisioning Officer\u2019 for Microsoft, whose talk on AI and the opportunities it could bring to businesses particularly resonated with Berkshire and its strengths in the digital sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A panel discussion followed, which saw Westcoast Executive Director Alex Tatham champion the value of the Careers and Enterprise Company in local skills development, and Resource Productions CEO Dom Unsworth forecast an imminent boom for the county\u2019s creative industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Steve Bulley highlighted the important work of Berkshire Growth Hub with SMEs and entrepreneurs across the county, and UK Property Forums MD Matthew Battle shared his perspective on the world of work post-Covid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The headlines? Berkshire LEP is here to stay \u2013 though perhaps under a new name \u2013 and with the backing of the county\u2019s key industries, it will continue to build the skills and infrastructure needed for a strong local economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more - Plus X Innovation Hub launched in Slough<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Berkshire LEP laid out its vision for the future of the county in last week\u2019s annual conference, which brought together […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":317163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,40476,11],"tags":[115,34643],"taxonomy":[37431],"listing_catagory":[],"acf":[],"category_names":["Business News","Recruitment, Careers & Skills","Technology & Innovation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317162"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317162\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/317163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317162"},{"taxonomy":"taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taxonomy?post=317162"},{"taxonomy":"listing_catagory","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebusinessmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/listing_catagory?post=317162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}