The Midlands is about to get some serious economic revitalisation thanks to new Government employment support scheme for Leicestershire.
It’s a happy day for contractors and permanent employees alike for the region, what with the new City Deal that’s been approved by Leicester and Leicestershire alike. The scheme, recently announced by minister for cities Greg Clark and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has the high hopes of reducing unemployment in the region by as much as half through new and innovative approaches to strengthening the economy.
The focus is on younger Brits who have been encountering real problems securing employment in the years since the credit crisis and resultant economic downturn. New employment, training and education opportunities will be funded by the multi-million pound initiative, catering specifically to those between the ages of 16 and 24 and will include the establishment of an official hub for employment and apprenticeship within Leicester and the creation of additional employment schemes targeted at local youth.
The scheme unlocks some £130 million of private and public sector investment in addition to the estimated 1,400 new permanent positions and 4,000 traineeships and apprenticeships. This is of course not even including the countless freelancing and umbrella company contracting opportunities the economic investment will bring to Leicester and Leicestershire as a whole.
If you ask me, this is exactly what we need to revitalise our economy, especially in the face of the growing skills gap crisis. A renewed focus on education and training for younger Brits is the key to providing employers with the kinds of workers they need to remain competitive in the current economic environment, and I can only fervently hope that other regions adopt similar measures to stimulate the workforce and keep the UK’s economy humming along as it should be.
Honestly I really can’t see any downside to this new programme besides the fact that it’s just Leicester and Leicestershire that’s getting the opportunity to grow and flourish. Perhaps if this City Deal is as wildly successful as I predict it will encourage the Government to partner with other regions throughout the UK and bring prosperity back to Britain. We only have so much time before the skills shortage takes an incalculable toll on our economic growth and stability, so let’s hope this is just the first stage of a more forward-thinking approach to the whole matter.
