• Business
  • Community
  • Crime
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • What’s On
  • Traffic & Travel
  • Weather
Bath Echo
  • Thursday 21st January 2021
  • Subscribe
  • Opinion
  • Reviews
  • Letters
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Editions
Bath Echo

Bath, GB

  • Business
  • Community
  • Crime
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • What’s On
  • Traffic & Travel
  • Weather
Home
News Headlines
Politics

Taskforce to offer support to businesses and employees at risk of redundancy

Monday 27th July 2020 Bath Echo News Team Bath Echo News Team Business, Politics

Share
Tweet
WhatsApp
Pin
Share

The West of England Recovery Taskforce has backed plans for integrated support for businesses and employees at risk of redundancy due to COVID-19.

West of England Mayor Tim Bowles

The support is being coordinated through the new Redundancy Response Group that is led by the West of England Combined Authority and brings together government departments, employers, unions, local councils, and education and training providers.

Through the West of England Growth Hub (www.wearegrowth.co.uk) businesses can access free information and guidance on managing workforce pressures to avoid or minimise redundancies.

Advice is also provided to support employees through the redundancy process and help people to secure alternative employment or training.

Businesses of any size in the West of England can access the support, which includes workforce planning, HR advice and guidance, employability support, training and skills development and coaching.

The West of England Taskforce, led by Regional Mayor, Tim Bowles, comprises of senior figures from industry, education and local government, working together on plans for the region’s recovery.

It welcomed the support for businesses and employees that is available now and the plans for a new online platform to make access to services even easier.

West of England Mayor Tim Bowles said: “I want our residents to keep their jobs, find new opportunities and start fulfilling new careers in the jobs of the future.

“Our economic recovery and renewal depends on keeping our talent here in the region and that’s my focus as we come out of the unprecedented situation that Covid-19 has put us in.

“I know this is an incredibly challenging time for our region’s businesses and their employees which is why I want to make sure firms large and small, have the tailored advice they need, particularly at the most difficult times. That’s exactly what this multi-agency rapid reaction team will be able to provide.

“Whether the support sits alongside the in-house capabilities that large companies like Airbus are able to provide or is a lifeline to a small business that is struggling, I want businesses and employees in the West of England to know that we want to keep them here and this help is our way of doing that.”

The taskforce also welcomed the Government’s recent announcement of a £2bn ‘kickstart’ scheme to create more jobs for young people, £1.6bn for employment support and a £3bn green investment plan to cut carbon emissions.

Members emphasised WECA’s leading role in ensuring that the funding is used as effectively as possible in the West of England, aligning it with current activity.

Other priority areas agreed by the taskforce included:

  • To create a new green skills development package which will train and retrain people in this growth area
  • A regional approach to building digital skills, drawing on the collective strengths of further education colleges, universities and training providers, using innovative approaches for rapid reskilling
  • More support for apprenticeships through WECA’s Workforce for the Future, which will work with small and medium-sized enterprises to help them develop their workforce and maximise the benefits of new government incentives
  • Additional support to encourage young people to start-up businesses; tapping into our extensive regional networks and support organisations

Richard Bonner, Arcadis, said: “There are specific skills that we need to identify for green jobs and associated training, but we also need to consider how we stimulate the demand – maximising the regional value from government’s £3bn by boosting local supply chains and job creation.”

“On targeting support at the right people, Sammy Payne, Co-founder, Open Bionics commented: “The Kickstart scheme is a fantastic opportunity for young people and SMEs in the region who have been impacted by the Coronavirus disruption.

“It is imperative that the economic disruption to businesses, training, and education, doesn’t isolate new talent ready to enter the workforce.

“Young people need opportunities and this will provide an opportunity for them to get a start at organisations whilst companies in the region recover.”

The taskforce reports to the West of England Combined Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership. Its work covers Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire areas.

Share
Tweet
WhatsApp
Pin
Share
Next article Future of golf courses remain in the balance following public consultation
Previous article Award-winning online station BA1 Radio raising money to help fund future

Related Stories

Countdown is on to the introduction of Bath's Clean Air Zone this March
Thursday 21st January 2021

Countdown is on to the introduction of Bath's Clean Air Zone this March

Last chance to have say on plans to increase policing part of council tax
Thursday 21st January 2021

Last chance to have say on plans to increase policing part of council tax

New Bath Spa University campus strategy could free up land for housing
Wednesday 20th January 2021

New Bath Spa University campus strategy could free up land for housing

...
Followers
Follow
...
Likes
Like
...
Followers
Follow

Top Stories

Countdown is on to the introduction of Bath's Clean Air Zone this March

Countdown is on to the introduction of Bath's Clean Air Zone this March

Thursday 21st January 2021
Last chance to have say on plans to increase policing part of council tax

Last chance to have say on plans to increase policing part of council tax

Thursday 21st January 2021
Councillors call for vaccination centre to be opened in Peasedown St John

Councillors call for vaccination centre to be opened in Peasedown St John

Thursday 21st January 2021
CCTV upgrade to give police live access to feeds across Avon and Somerset

CCTV upgrade to give police live access to feeds across Avon and Somerset

Thursday 21st January 2021
New Bath Spa University campus strategy could free up land for housing

New Bath Spa University campus strategy could free up land for housing

Wednesday 20th January 2021
  • Business
  • Community
  • Crime
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • What’s On
  • Traffic & Travel
  • Weather
  • Back to top
Created by Media Bath - Regulated by IMPRESS

About the Bath Echo | Your City, Your News

We're your local independent newspaper covering news and events across beautiful Bath and the close surrounding villages. We're here to help keep Bathonians in the know about what's going on in their city.

Useful Info

  • House Rules
  • Cookie Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Complaints Policy
  • Social Media Policy
© Bath Echo 2021. All rights reserved.
Produced by Media Bath Limited
The Bath Echo website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're okay with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Okay Find Out More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.