Highlighting the priorities of the LEP in Gloucestershire, Jenny Pitcher and Sarah Danson, also explained the importance of current programmes such as Gloucestershire Ambassadors and the Apprenticeship Campaign, which has been well publicised in the local press.
The audience was encouraged to consider becoming Ambassadors for the county, with examples of ‘great Gloucestershire stories’ to tell others about.
These included the county’s knowledge economy underpinned by the presence of GCHQ, the new language immersion centre in Gloucester and Campden BRI, the major food research association based in the Cotswolds, in addition to a wealth of world class companies and products made in Gloucestershire, and its £1bn tourism economy.
Ambassadors were also described as being an additional resource to help grow the county’s economy, by offering help to support and mentor others and offer opportunities for young people where possible. Apprenticeships were highlighted as one of the most significant ways in which businesses could help to “open the door” for young people, and interested businesses were encouraged to contact Sarah at GFirst for further information.
For those businesses perhaps unable to take on an apprentice at the current time, alternative schemes offering supported work experience and placements is also being supported by GFirst, and allows more companies to offer opportunities for young people on a less formal basis, and giving them an insight into how apprenticeships could work for them in the longer term.
As a Gloucestershire Ambassador himself, Nick Bevan said “I’m delighted to be part of a programme which is based around Gloucestershire promoting itself to the wider world. We all know how great a county it is to live and work in, but even I was surprised by how many positive stories we have which we could be spreading to others."
“Gloucestershire is a county which we can all be very proud of, and I shall be doing my best to make sure as many people know about it as possible, in order to generate future interest in growth and investment.”
