The Government has pledged to do its bit to help firms like Jaguar Land Rover continue to grow by closing the skills gap.
The Midland car-maker’s success has led to the creation of thousands of jobs, with the latest announcement that 1,700 new jobs will be created at the company’s Solihull site.
The plans could also create more than 6,000 new jobs in the supply chain – but there are fears that the region may lack the skilled workforce needed to fill the vacancies.
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That has prompted Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to propose the creation of a new skills task force for the region, involving industry and academia.
Speaking to the Post, Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said: “What we have got to make sure is people have got the skills to take on the jobs that are becoming available.”
And citing cooperation with Jaguar Land Rover, a firm he is due to visit next week, Mr Hancock added: “We are investing in training in places like Jaguar Land Rover to make sure that as they expand local people in Birmingham have got the skills and training they need to get the jobs.
“We are working with Jaguar Land Rover on how we can make sure that they get the skilled workforce that they need.”
He added: “It is in Jaguar Land Rover’s interests that they train their workforce but in taxpayers’ interests too that we have local skilled people able to get these jobs.”
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Mr Hancock said the skills agenda was closely linked to educational reforms and a drive to increase the number of apprenticeships.
“The whole school reform agenda is about increasing the amount of English and maths, which are the key skills for improving standards in education but is also about increasing apprenticeships and more training for what employers are looking for,” he said.
“There are record numbers of apprentices in the West Midlands and across the country – 1.5 million in the last three years – and that is part of a wider agenda to drive up standards in education and skills so when people leave school they can get a good job or go to a good university.”
Mr Hancock was speaking as the Government unveiled a number of initiatives to boost small businesses, including unveiling the first funding allocation from the British Business Bank’s investment programme and launching a campaign to help small firms grow.
The first £45 million of funding is to be committed to Praesidian Capital Europe (£30 million) and BMS Finance (£15 million) and it is expected both funds will start lending to small businesses in early 2014.
Other measures that will provide support to small businesses include a new £1 million Sector Mentoring Challenge Fund that will enable firms to benefit from support and advice from experienced business people in their own field of work
Also a £10 million synthetic biology start up fund from the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC) to help entrepreneurial scientists.
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A new business support website, , will also make it easy to access the services and products – including Manufacturing Advice Service, National Apprenticeship Service and Growth Accelerator – that help businesses grow.
The website is the first domestic use of the ‘Great’ campaign.
Mr Hancock said: “The Great campaign has been used internationally to sell Britain abroad and sell investing in Britain. Now we are launching that domestically, saying that business is great and inspiring firms to grow, to hire and to export and to show the things we are doing to make it easier.
“Firstly, with regards to exports we, are making 海角视频TI our export body more open to small businesses and strengthening advice they give to small firms looking to export.
“On hiring we have already made it easier to hire people, we have reduced some of the regulations and this campaign will highlight the Growth Accelerator, an advice service for small business looking to grow.”
The mentoring initiative unveiled by the Government is something Mr Hancock believes will prove particularly successful.
“The most successful businesses to show smaller businesses how to expand are businesses that have been through it,” he said.
“They will get a mentor from a business a bit bigger than themselves on how to grow. This is all under the aegis of the Business is Great campaign, which has inspirational stories from other successful businesses.”
Mr Hancock also believes getting the ball rolling with the British Business Bank will help counter problems small businesses have in accessing finance.
“This is the first time we have had a state-backed business bank to make sure access to finance is easier,” he said. “We are unveiling £45 million of investment in its first phase and there is another £300 million ready for investment now.”
In December a cross-Government strategy on small business support will be published outlining a range of measures, including improving access to finance and help to export and innovate.