Strategic Priority Three: Higher Skills

"Focusing on high quality vocational training to grow and attract a more knowledge intensive economy and developing enterprise skills across the workforce"

Our research identified priority sectors for promoting economic growth. These are recognised as being ‘knowledge intensive' and are currently constrained by the availability of skills. It is clear that skill levels are related to productivity: more highly skilled people produce more high value goods and services more efficiently and can offer higher wages as a result. Higher pay can then support other local jobs in services through consumption spending.

The availability of high skilled jobs places a number of demands on local priorities for economic development:

• Retaining and providing the talent required to fill those jobs;
• Attracting graduates to work in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire; and
• Providing the necessary skills support and training suited to the job opportunities available, including support to raise the skills of those already in employment.

The economies in the City and County areas will need to increase their productivity over the medium term to ensure they can compete in the market. This is likely to be relevant for both high and low value sectors in the economy. Many jobs will be subject to technical and organisational change. Creating sustainable employment is dependent upon ensuring that there is a mix of employment by industrial sector which is able to keep pace with change in the UK and international economy.

Developing a more enterprising culture is a significant element of building a more adaptable economy, particularly where there is legacy of an employment base dominated by large firms in traditional industries. This is important both to use enterprise as a tool to help businesses to grow and to create new jobs but also to encourage more enterprising behaviour across the workforce.

We will: