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Heart of the South West LEP Newsletter – December 2019

 

 

Latest News

December 2019

Read the latest round-up from
David Ralph, HotSW LEP CEO

Now we’ve had the General Election we have already written to all HOtSW MPs and the Government to highlight our priorities for the area and to secure commitment to our Local Industrial Strategy and the Great South West Partnership. […]

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Heart of the South West LEP Appoints New Chair and Board Members

Following six years of dedicated service as LEP Chair by Steve Hindley CBE DL, the LEP Board has unanimously appointed Karl Tucker, Executive Chairman of Yeo Valley Farming Ltd to take up the next term of office. Karl Tucker has been with Yeo Valley since 1996 having joined from the quarrying industry and before that […]

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Conference and AGM

HotSW LEP’s successful Annual Conference and AGM was held in Torquay on Monday 4 November with over 300 delegates.

Clean growth and inclusive growth are the overarching themes of the LEP’s emerging Local Industrial Strategy; to make sure that increased productivity is sustainable, and that prosperity benefits the whole of the community […]

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BREXIT Resilience and Opportunities Group

Government departments are keen to understand economic trends at a regional and sub-regional level irrespective of whichever EU Exit outcome we face.

The short-term aim is to understand these economic trends at a local level and enable early identification of potential shocks and opportunities whilst the longer-term aim is to support, to the best of our ability, our communities and businesses if localised interventions are required.

To ensure we are getting the right information to Government we need to hear about your experiences; whether it be around business development, finance, supply chains, labour, skills or otherwise; please send any information to Hattie.winter@heartofswlep.co.uk

Quarterly Business Bulletin

The LEP has now produces a Quarterly Business Bulletin to provide a regular synopsis of the key issues surrounding businesses in our area. The first bulletin is available here and the next one will be published in January.

The bulletin includes survey highlights from the Chambers of Commerce, Institute of Directors, the Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, National Union of Farmers, South West Manufacturing Advisory Service and the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Its aim is to support business and national policy makers to make informed decisions that reflect the challenges and opportunities in the HotSW area.

Adult Retraining Scheme Launches in the Heart of the South West

Adults across the Heart of the South West have access to the Get Help to Retrain service so they can take the first step towards a more prosperous career. The pioneering service aims to support adults whose jobs are at risk of digital transformation to retrain and secure a new and improved role. […]

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Universities, Colleges and Employer partners sign multi-million pound partnership deal for South West Institute of Technology (SWIOT)

Universities, Colleges and Employer partners sign multi-million pound partnership deal for South West Institute of Technology (SWIOT) Partners across the South West have signed a partnership agreement signalling a multi-million pound investment in the region. The SWIOT will train thousands of students in technical subjects across the region, bringing unparalleled skills development and career opportunities […]

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New Funding Opportunities from European Regional Fund for Rural Development

EAFRD funding through the RDPE Growth Programme supports projects that increase rural jobs, growth and productivity in the Heart of the South West. Funding is split across three specific strands – business development, food processing and rural tourism infrastructure. There are currently three live calls for all of the three strands, and HotSW businesses are […]

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Rural Enterprise Exmoor Survey

A major new survey into the views of businesses in Exmoor has launched as the next step in the Rural Enterprise Exmoor initiative. It aims to better understand the types of business activity undertaken across the National Park as well as the challenges and opportunities of doing business on Exmoor. The 5-minute online survey is […]

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Maritime UK SW Business Forum 31 January – Met Office, Exeter

A one-stop-shop for skills, trade, innovation, finance and supply chain opportunities in the ocean economy. This free all-day event is managed by the South Coast Marine Cluster with event partners the Marine Business Technology Centre and the Met Office. The event will provide information on a wide range of support and commercial opportunities for your […]

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South Devon College features on BBC Spotlight

The recently completed South Devon College Hi Tech & Digital centre has been featured on BBC Spotlight, as tweeted by our  Digital Skills Partnership Manager Charlotte Collyer:

https://twitter.com/Charlie_Collyer/status/1206122942918250496?s=20

The centre was supported by £8.13m from the HoTSWLEP Growth Deal, delivering the skills needed by employers in the HoTSW area to develop their hi tech businesses.

About HotSW
The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership is a strong and dynamic partnership between the private sector, local authorities, universities and further education across Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay with the purpose of leading and influence economic growth, job creation and prosperity across the Heart of the South West.

Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
Increasing productivity and prosperity for all.#LivingBetter

             

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.