The South East’s new Economic Development and Skills Board has pledged to use its remit to bring the training needs of employers and employees closer together.

The Board, which met for the first time in November, is one of three that advises the South East England Partnership Board on investment priorities. Its members are from the business and skills communities, the board of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the executive body of South East England Councils.

Alex Pratt, chairman of the Economic Development and Skills Board and SEEDA board member, said: “The recent downturn makes our goal – of supporting the South East’s economic development – more important than ever.

“Our members showed real determination to bring economic and skills development in the South East together. The importance of considering business needs alongside those of our workforce is something the South East has been pushing for some time.

“Creation of this Board and SEEDA’s new role in developing a regional skills strategy gives us an opportunity to work with partners to shape investment priorities and support economic development in a new and more effective way.

“This means using our resources smartly. We need to plan for the businesses of the future as well as talking to employers, employees and the unemployed today.”

The Board agreed to focus on:

• The need to balance economic development with environmental sustainability
• Support for sustainable industries – especially those specialising in high-tech renewable energy
• Sectors and technologies that make the largest contribution to innovation and productivity-led growth in the South East
• The need to improve infrastructure, particularly broadband.

The Board’s meetings and its papers are open to the public and the next meeting will be on 2 February 2010. See www.se-partnershipboard.org.uk for details.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

• Scott Swinton, Media Relations Manager, SEEDA
  01483 501362 / scottswinton@seeda.co.uk
• Simon Worsfold, Communications Manager, South East England Partnership Board
  01483 555221 / simonworsfold@se-partnershipboard.org.uk

• Jenny Whittle, Communications Manager, South East England Councils  
  07855 767968 / jenny.whittle@live.co.uk

Editor's notes

South East England Partnership Board is made up of four members of the board of the South East England Development Agency and eight members of the South East England Leaders’ Board (the executive body of South East England Councils), supported by a small team of staff in Guildford, Surrey.

The Partnership Board was created as a result of the Government’s Sub-National Review (further information on the SNR is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website) and is responsible for developing, delivering and monitoring a 20-year strategy for the South East that combines and builds on the region’s current spatial and economic strategies.

SEEDA, the South East England Development Agency, is the Government-funded agency responsible for the sustainable economic development of the South East of England – the driving force of the UK’s economy. Through supporting businesses, encouraging innovation, developing skills and engaging with public and private partners, its aim is to create a successful, sustainable future for the region.

Between 2005 and 2008, SEEDA’s support helped to deliver the following:

• 17,500 jobs created or safeguarded
• 32,500 people helped to get work
• 10,000 businesses created or attracted to region
• 137,500 businesses assisted
• £638m investment, 45% levered from private sector
• 200ha Brownfield land remediated
• 148,500 people assisted in skills development

SEEDA has a national lead role among regional development agencies on skills, working to influence Government investment and policy decisions on behalf of all nine regional development agencies.

Under the national skills strategy, launched in November 2009, the regional development agencies have the lead role for preparing a regional skills strategy. This remit will be used both to inform the development of a new Regional Strategy and shape skills investment priorities.

South East England Councils (SEEC) represents nearly all 74 councils in the South East and is chaired by Kent County Council leader Cllr Paul Carter. Its executive body, the Leaders’ Board, includes 22 representatives from district, unitary and county councils, with members from the three main political parties. Alongside the chairman, Cllr Paul Carter (Conservative, Kent County Council), Cllr Louise Bloom (Liberal-Democrat, Eastleigh Borough Council) and Cllr Tony Page (Labour, Reading Borough Council) have been elected as vice chairmen.

Alex Pratt OBE, from Buckinghamshire, has been elected first chairman of the Economic Development and Skills Board. He is a serial entrepreneur who runs seriousreaders.com, which manufactures high-grade reading lights. On secondment to the Government, he created and led the DTI International Innovation team, and acted as a catalyst for key innovations such as the national brokerage model for business support and re-branding Britain. He has been chairman of the DTI Business Link National Assessment Panel and of the Business Link in Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. He was awarded an OBE for Services to Business and Education in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2006

The Economic Development and Skills Board is one of three delivery boards that form part of the South East’s governance arrangements. It was set up to reflect the important role that skills will play in achieving sustainable economic growth in the region. It met for the first time on 17 November. Its inception has been an opportunity to review other regional groups. As a result the Regional Economic Strategy Steering Group and the Regional Skills for Productivity Alliance have been dissolved, and the role of the South East Business Support Advisory Board is being reviewed.

The Learning and Skills Council will be a key partner at the beginning of this board's life but, as the council will be dissolved in 2010, there will then be a review of the board's operation.                          

The Housing and Regeneration Board is tasked with monitoring progress against the South East’s regional housing strategy and agreeing regional priorities to inform advice to Government on funding.

The Transport Board has a key role in advising the Government on significant transport issues in the South East. It is responsible for the regional transport strategy, which ensures transport projects in the region complement and support sustainable development. The regional transport strategy forms part of the South East Plan, the planning vision for the region.