New £2m Skills Fund launched to assist Cheshire & Warrington businesses

A new fund totalling £2 million was launched yesterday at Cheshire & Warrington Economic Alliance’s Annual Stakeholder Forum.

The fund will assist Cheshire and Warrington businesses in accessing skills development and training for which there is  no existing public funding. The fund is being administered by CWEA on behalf of Cheshire Employer and Skills Development Ltd (CESD).

Martin Lee, Chief Executive of CWEA said “We were delighted to be asked to administer this private fund which we are sure will assist the businesses in our area. We want businesses and others to come to us with exciting, creative, innovative and different ideas which will have a major positive impact on the economy of Cheshire and Warrington, and improve the skills and employment base of Cheshire and Warrington. Activities which will increase and improve the sharing of good practice on skills development, and ideas which will stimulate the demand for skills in Cheshire and Warrington, will be especially welcomed.”

Enterprise, Sustainable economic development and skills were the themes at the Stakeholder Forum, CWEA’s fourth, which was held in the beautiful setting of Tatton Park in Knutsford. More than 130 business leaders met with representatives from the areas largest and most successful businesses, local authority leaders and councillors, business support organisations and the community and voluntary sector to discuss projects, plans and prospects for the Cheshire and Warrington economy.

Whilst acknowledging that the so-called ‘credit crunch’ will have a significant impact on this area, speakers and delegates were agreed that it is now more important than ever that businesses think about the long-term and in particular seek to up skill or re-train staff.  In the past in this area the downturns have started later than the rest of the UK, but the region has been slower to recover because it had lost many of its skilled people to the major cities or London and the south-east.

Pop impresario, and engineering skills champion, Pete Waterman, featured in a ‘Question Time’ panel debate on skills. Pete talked about the need to educate youngsters about the rewarding careers in engineering and the work he has been doing with CWEA to develop a National Railway Engineering Skills Academy in Crewe. Other speakers included Steven Broomhead of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, entrepreneur Andrew Donaldson of Big Storage, Robert Davis of EA Technology and the Energy Innovation Centre, Christine Gaskell of Bentley Motors and Simon Mann of Chester Zoo. There were contributions too from Neville Chamberlain and David Pickering (Chair and Vice Chair of CWEA) as well as Martin Lee and David Horstead, CWEA’s Director of Strategy & Intelligence.

Presentations from the event are featured on CWEA’s website at www.cwea.org.uk/events.

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For further information contact:
Tina Johnston, External Relations Manager
Cheshire & Warrington Economic Alliance
Tel: 01606 734187; Email: Tina.Johnston@cwea.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

Picture
The picture shows from left Martin Lee, Chief Executive of CWEA with speakers Pete Waterman and Andrew Donaldson, as well as Mark Edwardson of the BBC who presented the event for CWEA

CWEA
Cheshire & Warrington Economic Alliance is funded predominantly by the NWDA. CWEA brings together leaders and influencers from both the public and private sector to work in partnership on a wide range of economic development issues in the sub region to ensure a dynamic, high quality environment for both business and residents. Visit www.cwea.org.uk.

NWDA
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
For further information visit: www.nwda.co.uk, www.englandsnorthwest.com

CESD
Cheshire Employer & Skills Development Ltd is an organisation managed by a board of trustees to develop and provide training, independent advisory, consultative, educational and other support services and advice to and for employers, individuals and those who are disadvantaged or disabled in the workplace.