Launch of campaign to get firms investing in training

The local enterprise partnership said the new campaign will help to boost the local economy.

Research shows that one fifth of UK economic growth is due to improvements in skills and training, added the LEP.

The Humber Skills Pledge consists of six actions including mentoring a budding entrepreneur, offering an apprenticeship, employing a local graduate, offering a work placement, supporting the development of employability skills and increasing workforce skills.

It is hoped with businesses having the freedom to choose which actions they achieve; take-up in the region is set to be high, said the LEP.

Lord Haskins said: “There are some excellent examples of local businesses investing in skills, but as a nation we are not good enough at it and we lag behind the competition.

“We want to use the Humber Skills Pledge to raise awareness of what skills investment can achieve for businesses, the local economy and local people.

“A few relatively small actions, if taken up by enough businesses, can have a very positive impact on their own companies as well as the prospects of people in their local communities.”

The campaign aims to get more of the 47,800 unemployed people aged 16 to 64 in the Humber into jobs and work placements as well as encouraging businesses to raise company productivity through investment in workforce skills.

Lord Haskins, who chairs the Humber LEP, will launch the campaign next Friday at the Willerby Manor Hotel.

Stuart Griffiths from Jobcentre Plus will also take to the stage to show businesses just how easy finding the right graduate or apprentice can be.

He said: “This campaign is absolutely vital.

“It is a tough time for businesses and the aim is to show them that there are lots of ready, willing and able organisations ready to jump into action and help them find someone who will bring added value to their comp- any.”

Scunthorpe-based Tata Steel, which already benefits from investing in skills and training of its workforce and community, will be paving the way for others by signing up to the pledge on launch day. Adam Graham, a sixth former at Archbishop Sentamu Academy who undertook a summer internship at regeneration organisation Esteem, will also share his story.

He said: “Before doing a placement I didn’t think I was going to be able to fulfil my dreams but now I’m planning to go to university and hopefully one day will own my own business.”

More details at www.humberlep.org/events