Looking back on the Olympic games I’m sure we are all pleased with the way the Olympic events reflected on the County. Although the mens’s road race didn’t go to plan, or the rest didn’t follow our plan! The other events went extremely well with literally hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the routes to cheer on all of the competitors and celebrate a Gold and Silver medal for Team GB.
This has been a significant success for all of those, public or private sector, that organised and facilitated the events and showed the world what Surrey can do. We now have to build on this success and increase the economic performance of the County.
As some of you will know, we have two recognized LEPs in the County “Enterprise M3” covering the West, along with most of North and Central Hampshire and “Coast to Capital” covering East Surrey, Croydon, the “Gatwick Diamond” and most of West Sussex. We are engaged at senior level with both of these groups to make sure that the interests of IoD Surrey members and the business community at large are promoted.
Additionally we are working closely with Surrey County Council and “Surrey Connects” to help them with their ambitious plans to help grow the local economy. We at IoD Surrey have recently agreed a partnership agreement aimed at boosting business in the County.
Surrey County Council has pledged to spend 60 percent of its spending on goods and services with businesses based in the County and we will be hoping to run an event for members to engage with this process in the Autumn. As well as committing to support “super fast Broadband” in the County, SCC has also announced that it will help fund 200 new apprenticeship positions in the County by offering a cash incentive of £1500 to companies taking on a new apprentice. This is in addition to the £1500 Government grant currently available. More details of this can be found on the IoD Surrey LinkedIn Group page. Schemes like these are vital to attempt to combat the scourge of Youth unemployment and I urge IoD members to do their best to get engaged and support this.
It’s clear that we will struggle to get central government support, as this has been the case regardless of the particular hue of the government of the day. There’s certainly no point wasting energy in complaining. It’s refreshing to see an approach based on practical commitments to work with local businesses taking hold and I’m sure we can all get involved and take this forward in a spirit of partnership.
Recent Comments