The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has welcomed two new Board members for 2023.
The Heart of the South West LEP’s Board works to improve economic development and prosperity in the Heart of the South West area, which covers Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay, and deliver the area’s Local Industrial Strategy.
The Board also oversees the LEP’s delivery of infrastructure, business support and skills projects, worth three-quarters of a billion pounds, being delivered by 2025.
The latest people to join the Board are Helen Higgs, Head of Construction Workforce Capability at EDF Energy, and Mark Bolton, Principal and CEO at Yeovil College.
Karl Tucker, Chair of the Heart of the South West LEP, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Helen and Mark to the Board, bringing with them a wealth of experience across education, clean energy, and skills. We look forward to working with our Board members this year as we continue to navigate the region’s challenges, and work with Government and local businesses to realise our area’s unique opportunities.”
Helen works closely with the nuclear supply chain and international projects, and over the past 20 years has led on effective workforce strategies for major nuclear projects. She is also Chair of the Board for the National College for Nuclear, supporting workforce development for nuclear and net zero technologies, by bridging the gap between industry and education providers.
Helen said: “I’m extremely pleased to have been invited to join the LEP Board. This is a great opportunity to support the collaborative skills initiatives that will face the future clean energy agenda for the region. I believe that there is great strength in the South West in this sector, which will deliver future employment pathways and be a natural legacy segway from my area of nuclear new build at Hinkley Point C.”
Mark Bolton joined Yeovil College as Director of Employer Engagement in 2015, leading on the strategic direction of the college’s curriculum and engagement with the business community. He became CEO and Principal in 2019, and is committed to developing the future workforce of the college’s local community and wider region.
Mark said: “My colleague John Laramy from Exeter College held this position for the previous three years as the Further Education and Skills voice for the Heart of South West LEP, and I am delighted to represent the college, wider education and skills perspectives for the next term of office. It is a unique opportunity to ensure that the voice to inform future workforce needs is present in discussions which shape our future in the Heart of the South West. What our capable workforce can do has such a profound impact on the success and prosperity of our community, and it is a privilege to be in a position to make that contribution to inform the plan for our place.”
Find out about the Heart of the South West LEP’s board members.
