LEP sets skills challenge
A NEW campaign encouraging businesses to invest in skills has been launched by the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.
The LEP hopes that the 5-3-1 campaign will have the support of 1,000 businesses by the end of the year.
Its name comes from the five suggestions offered by the campaign on what businesses can do to improve skills, the three reasons it puts forward for getting involved and the “one positive outcome” – economic growth.
LEP chairman Neil McLean said: “The figures speak for themselves, we need to invest more in people, increase our productivity and help our business grow.
“There are five things you can choose from and it only takes a small commitment to make a big change. For instance, if we increase our employment productivity by one percentage point that will result in growing our economy by £1bn every year. The potential is immense and the time has come to forge ahead.”
The campaign calls on businesses to:
- Invest in skills
- Enhance links with education
- Offer a work placement to an unemployed person
- Offer an apprenticeship
- Mentor a budding entrepreneur
LEP board member Stephen Kennedy, chief operating officer at CPP, said: “The LEP board has hit the ground running with the development of this innovative business-to-business campaign. The board is determined to promote the campaign far and wide and get as many businesses as possible to take action and actively support the campaign.
“It is a straightforward action campaign and companies can commit to one or more actions that suit their needs. If we want our businesses to succeed and our economy to flourish signing up to this campaign is an absolute must.”
