Newark and Sherwood District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Development writes about driving up skills and productivity with people and businesses

Over the last couple of months, since I took on the Portfolio for Sustainable Economic Development, I’ve been privileged to see some amazing events hosted by the District Council, said Clare Penny, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Development at Newark and Sherwood District Council.

The Economic Growth Conference held at Kelham Hall in October was a great opportunity for me to speak and listen to business leaders from across the district.

Hearing how AI is set to impact our lives, not just in the business world, was fascinating. Equally, hearing how different businesses are managing the age-old problem of getting different generations to work together delivered some useful insights.

In November I attended the Future First Expo at Newark Showground where more than 1,400 students from schools across Newark and Sherwood were able to explore a wide range of career paths available to them with over 50 businesses in attendance.

It’s a privilege to support this event which plays a pivotal role in sharing what prospects there are to grow and succeed including opportunities right here in our district.

I’ve also been pleased to see the progress of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which has allowed us to fund several business support and skills initiatives, delivered in-house by our Economic Growth team and offer grants to support key partners.

This includes 1-2-1 business advice, grant funding opportunities, workshops and access to specialist services relating to decarbonisation, technology and productivity.

An example of this is the East Midlands Chamber Accelerator Programme, which is providing decarbonisation and innovation advice and growth vouchers to businesses across Newark and Sherwood.

To date, we have worked with 315 local businesses through these initiatives including providing support to safeguard and create jobs, introduce new products, processes and services, as well as to increase productivity and sustainability.

Recently, local family focused events have also offered a great chance for us to bring new audiences to our towns.

The screening of ‘A Likely Story’ at the start of November on the Town Hall in Newark was brilliant way to demonstrate this. It was the busiest night of the year so far.

#The programme was led by Newark Creates and supported by Newark Town Board’s Newark Heart project, alongside the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and goes to show how collaborative working can make a big difference.

Our officers are tremendous at what they do and work tirelessly on making these projects happen. A big thank you to local businesses and residents as well who continue to support these projects and are keen to get involved when they can, together we can build a stronger more sustainable local economy.

Our Economic Growth team is here to offer support to local businesses. By giving advice and signposting to potential grants, they’re always here to offer a helping hand.

Drop them an email at Economic.Growth@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk and see how they can support you.