GD21 – Support to Hinkley

Support to Hinkley Growth Deal Project

This project aims to create facilities to meet the training needs of Hinkley Point C through redeveloping and extending existing facilities, demolition and new build, and investment in equipment, plant and machinery. It will provide state of the art facilities that meet the needs of employers and learners as well as providing a legacy for future training needs of employers and learners as well as providing a legacy for future training needs both regionally and nationally. Extensive work with EDF energy and its supply chain has highlighted specific training needs including steel fixing and form working, plant operations, and engineering as well as wider skills to support the major infrastructure impact of this project in Somerset.

Completion: September 2018

Growth Deal funding: £5,146m

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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.