Warwickshire County Council’s Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee heard about the impact of the recent work to support Warwickshire’s economic development.
Business Growth Warwickshire has successfully engaged over 1,000 businesses across Warwickshire during its first six months of delivery. Aimed at supporting businesses, or residents looking to start a business, the programme provides businesses and start-ups with dedicated support and advice in a range of topics, delivered by specialist organisations.
The £4.6 million programme is funded by UK Government (through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via the five District and Borough Councils and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) and Warwickshire County Council.
Over 180 businesses have already received over 12 hours of tailored support, safeguarding 203 jobs and leading to improved productivity in 137 of the 180 businesses.
Warwickshire Supported Employment Service helps individuals with learning difficulties into paid employment. The service reported on its first audit, conducted by The British Association of Supported Employment (BASE), from which it achieved accreditation in the field of supported employment. The assessors noted that this was an incredible achievement for a young service, with high quality support and impressive rates of positive outcomes, featuring throughout the service.
Highlights from WSES include:
- Referrals: The service has received a total of 528 referrals from various partners.
- Referral Breakdown: Of these, 68 referrals were for individuals currently employed who required retention support due to the risk of losing their job, while 429 referrals were from potential job seekers
- Sustainability: The first audit shows WSES has achieved over 90% job sustainability for those transitioning to or maintaining paid work, marking one of BASE's highest retention rates.
- Interview Success Rates: The service enhanced their approach by collaborating with employers to fill vacancies, resulting in an increase in interview success rates from 21% in the first quarter to 28% in the second quarter. Notably, the service has introduced work trials as an alternative to traditional interviews.
Supporting people to develop their skills and access employment through apprenticeships helps to create a skilled and thriving workforce. O&S heard how the Warwickshire Skills Hub has supported the Warwickshire County Council Apprenticeship Levy Share Programme July which has seen 5 businesses and 29 apprenticeships supported, and £541,000 pledged in funding.
Annual data released by the Department for Business and Trade in July revealed that the Coventry & Warwickshire area is the best performing location in the UK and Northern Ireland for foreign direct investment (FDI), continuing to outperform the overall UK figures. In the year 2023-24, Coventry and Warwickshire attracted a total of 53 foreign investment projects. This is an increase on the previous year which saw 50 FDI projects in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Councillor Martin Watson, portfolio holder for Economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: “Supporting new and existing businesses in Warwickshire to grow and create a skilled workforce is a key priority for Warwickshire County Council.
“For many, gaining access to finance makes the difference between not staying solvent or succeeding and prospering. I’m delighted with just how much support was being offered by the county council in the last six months.
“But the council is committed to providing opportunities for all our residents. It was very encouraging to hear about the successful start made by the Warwickshire Supported Employment Service and the outcomes from their recent audit. We have known for some time that they are doing excellent work in creating opportunities for residents who have previously had barriers to employment and it was fantastic to have that independent validation from the auditors.”
For more information about the Business Growth Warwickshire Programme, visit warwickshire.gov.uk/ukspf
For more information about the Warwickshire Supported Employment Service, visit skillshub.warwickshire.gov.uk/supportive-employers-1/warwickshire-supported-employment-service