West of EnglandLocal Enterprise Partnership

Workshop Report 24 January 2011

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Local Enterprise Workshop Report

Contents The presentations made at the workshop, including the economic analysis made by Neil Gibson, Director of Regional Services, Oxford Economics, are available at http://www.westofengland.org/local-enterprise-partnership/lep-workshop-january-2011

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Brief introduction ....................................... Purpose of event ........................................ Welcome..................................................... Keynote speech .......................................... LEP presentations....................................... Workshop 1 ................................................ Workshop 2 ................................................ Workshop Feedback (summary) ................ Plenary ....................................................... Closing remarks.......................................... Workshop programme................................ Organisations represented .........................

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The Workshop was organised for the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership by the West of England Partnership Office.

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1. Introduction In June 2010 the local authority and business leaders from the West of England Partnership wrote to the coalition government expressing their support for the establishment of a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in the West of England area. Later in the month the government invited local authority and business leaders to work together with government through LEPs to strengthen local economies. The government anticipated that LEPs would wish to provide the strategic leadership to set out and support the delivery of local economic priorities in their area. In October government endorsed the West of England submission for the establishment of a LEP1, by including the area in the first round of 24 LEPs. Since then an Interim LEP Board has been announced comprising the following members (from the left in the photo below):

1 Available at

www.westofengland.org/local-enterprise-partnership

• Councillor John Calway, Leader, South Gloucestershire Council

• Councillor Francine Haeberling, Leader, Bath and North East Somerset Council

• Councillor Nigel Ashton, Leader, North Somerset Council

• Professor Joe McGeehan, Managing Director, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd

• Colin Skellett, Executive Chairman, Wessex Water

• David Sproxton, Co-Founder of Aardman Animations

• Barbara Janke, Leader, Bristol City Council • Katherine Bennett OBE, Vice President and

Head of Political Affairs, Airbus • Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive, Bristol

Airport • Professor Glynis Breakwell, Vice Chancellor,

University of Bath (not in photo)

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2. Purpose of event

As the first event to support the development of the new organisation, the focus was on what the proposals were for the LEP and on how the wider membership of the business and public sectors could contribute. The Workshop aims were to:

• Seek the views of the participants on the

main issues and priorities that the LEP needs to tackle

• Hear how they could contribute to delivery

• Examine how the LEP could support key business sectors that have high growth potential.

3. Welcome

Over 150 people from 90 organisations2 attended the event. Speaking to a crowded room, as Chair of the Interim LEP Board, Colin Skellett welcomed everyone. He said that by becoming a Local Enterprise Partnership, the West of England was well positioned to contribute to leading the UK out of recession. Although resources were limited, the area already had a strong economic base and there was much to attract inward investment to bolster the profile of the West of England yet further. There was a lot of positive interest locally in making this work. The area had a history of collaboration that must be built on to ensure the success of the LEP.

2 A full list of organisations is at the back of this report.

4. Keynote speech: LEPs Supporting Business Growth - Neil Gibson, Oxford Economics

Neil Gibson outlined the economic context in which the LEP would be operating and gave some predictions about future growth. He opened by saying that no country had escaped the economic downturn (except China) and some were still contracting. Economic recovery (as measured by GDP per head) was the national priority. The debt spiral had to stop; the forecast was positive, but slow, with debt not expected to reduce until 2012. All eyes were on business to drive economic growth; consumers were not in a strong position. The labour market was extremely challenging, especially in the public sector. Across all the sectors the outlook for the next 10 years suggested a further decline in UK manufacturing and increased employment in the service sector.

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Neil thought that the West of England LEP, as a united, business-led group in an area with a strong economic base, would have a better hearing when seeking investment. This was a really challenging situation, but probably the best time to get a hearing from a government looking for enterprise and innovation to lead the country out of recession. The West of England had one of the most successful labour markets in the UK, with employment in the area forecast to return to peak in 2013, and with Bristol comparing well to the other Core Cities. High value-added industry was the way forward, but this had to be balanced against the cost of shipping, oil, etc. Manufacturing and export were the engines of growth but the public sector was a huge employer that must not be overlooked. The service sector had been the main source of growth locally in the last decade. The LEP area skills profile masked extremes, eg over 10% of the working age population in Bristol had no qualifications and over 35% in Bristol and B&NES had a degree or higher

level qualification. Similarly, general unemployment figures masked the position of people under 30, who were in danger of being a generation lost to the labour market. Geography was also important; within the LEP wards claimant rates varied between 8.5% and 0.6% The economy could be boosted sub-regionally via high-end growth sectors, but the area must not lose out, politically, on the volume of public sector jobs that are a significant proportion of employment in the area. The public sector employment shift represented a real challenge, with the rate not expected to recover to peak. However, the potential for the area to thrive was enormous and it was important not to forget about new markets. Tourism and retail were also important, although retail employment was not forecast to recover until 2013. The population would continue to grow, although not at the official rate. 10,600 jobs were required to reach a resident employment rate of 75% in Bristol (2010).

Employment

Birmingham Beyond 2025

Bristol 2014

Leeds Beyond 2025

Liverpool 2015

Manchester 2013

Newcastle upon Tyne Beyond 2025

Nottingham UA 2014

Sheffield 2015

Core cities 2017

Table 4.1 : Return to Peak, Core Cities

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The positive forecasts in the West of England LEP proposal were based on real figures and evidence. However, the potential for urban decline was very real if the LEP got it wrong. The present state of the economy was based on personal and national debt. If private sector and export industries were to drive the economy out of debt, the question was whether there were enough jobs to replace those lost in the public sector. Potential for recovery could be illustrated by the following:

• World GDP was forecast to grow by $22 trillion by 2020. If Bristol could attract 0.0001% of this, that would equal £1.3 billion, or an increase of 13% of Bristol’s GVA in 2010

• UK inbound travel and domestic travel

spend is forecast to grow by £62 billion over the next decade. If Bristol could attract 0.5% of this, it would generate

an additional £310 million for the economy.

In summary, the recovery was fragile. Cities were expected to lead the way economically, given their unique skills and expertise, but the global threats were real and any reduction in competitiveness from local policy actions (or inaction) would have more impact than ever before. Co-ordination in a new policy environment would be crucial, coming at a time of cuts and low confidence, and would require strong leadership and enlightened staff in public service. He said that the audience knew the area better than anyone else; they should use advice at key points, not at all points. They shouldn’t abandon things that have been working and should get ‘out and about’, meet business and understand the issues. Neil’s presentation was extremely well received.

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5. Local Enterprise Partnership Submission to Government

Jan Ormondroyd, Chief Executive of Bristol City Council introduced her presentation3 saying that the West of England needed a different mechanism to promote growth in all areas and it needed to be bold. Infrastructure (roads, etc.) had to be worked on, and the West of England was a good place to invest. The LEP submission had made clear that the area could deliver. Bristol had the advantage of being a prime geographical location to deliver goods across the UK. In addition, the area’s key sectors were built on very saleable products nationally and globally. However, flexibility was necessary in order to adapt to the

3 Available at http://www.westofengland.org/media/201049/3.%20lep%20submission%20to%20government.pdf

needs of new industries and the changing economy. Colin Skellett drew attention to the area’s wide range of sectors, with a broad set of skills required and a need for skills investment. On the marketing and communications side, he said inward investment should be pro-actively managed across the LEP. He thought the Interim Board needed to determine:

• The permanent Board’s structure • Short and long term priorities • Opportunities for inward investment

and economic growth.

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A. People

Facilitated by: • Keith Elliott, City of Bristol College • Marlene Morley, Ministry of Defence* • Fern Urquhart, University of the West of England

6. Workshop 1

The Workshop agreed that the challenges were:

• To address a lack of intermediate skills and basic skills across all sectors within the West of England, although Higher Levels skills were also important.

• For Higher Education, Further Education

and employers to communicate more creatively in terms of demand and supply of skills training. They needed to develop a product where providers get together from each sector. “It’s not rocket science; it’s communication!”

• For Further Education, in particular, to be

more flexible and responsive to employers. There was a need to have more transparent focus on skills and outcomes of training, rather than qualifications and accreditation. Shorter delivery was often better for employers.

• For employers to work more flexibly with

education to offer interim placements, work-based learning and short courses. Employers needed to generate a culture of continuous learning amongst employees.

• For the LEP to work with SMEs and

sole traders, as well as large employers, in order to lead to further job creation.

• For the LEP to ensure that all people

(including particularly unemployed and young people, as well as diversity groups) across the sub-region engage with employment. If this didn’t happen, there would be a high social and political cost.

• The importance of building in

transferable skills for young people in today’s climate and for the future.

The first workshop sessions were organised in line with the three themes of the submission. Presentations given to all the Workshops are available online at http://www.westofengland.org/local-enterprise-partnership/lep-workshop-january-2011 An asterisk shows a speaker did not use slides.

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B. Business Facilitated by:

• Phil Smith, GWE Business West • Martin Coulthard, Science City • Janis Sinton, Tastetech Limited*

The speakers described and emphasised the importance of individual businesses getting the relevant business support. Support could be hard to find in the ‘logo soup’, but accessing the right support could be critical for success. A LEP ‘bedrock support proposal’ was currently being developed, based on better connectivity between existing providers. Janis Sinton is the MD and owner of TasteTech Ltd in Brislington, an SME specialising in the manufacture of encapsulated food flavourings and ingredients for the confectionary and baking industries. She said their turnover was £4m and they were still expanding. Their markets were national and international, with 60% of production exported around the world. Continued innovation in products and processes was essential. However, financing R&D and growth and developing their employees were major challenges. She spoke of her experience of growing and managing her business, and the impact of the impartial business support provided over recent years by a number of public agencies. She had found short specific and timely business support invaluable and she had particularly benefited from:

• 3i’s capital, which matched their own • The Bridge Programme, which helped her

understand the importance of taking a strategic approach and embedded really important disciplines and practices

• Peer support groups, which enabled problem

solving together and reduced the isolation of running a small business

• The backing of the Technology Strategy

Board with money and expertise • The Manufacturing Advisory Service’s

advice on best practice • Match funding for the essential training

and development of the firm’s employees so that they all share responsibility and are able to cope with growth

• The Design Partnership, which helped

steer her through the rebranding process.

Janis also outlined what she thought public agencies should continue to offer SMEs:

• Support and assist funding of early stage R&D, but with easier access

• Support and guidance to help secure

capital and cash flow support • Access to information about business

support services. Key points from discussion :

• Vision / Focus - the LEP has an opportunity to be inspiring and to engage the commitment of business by presenting a compelling ten year strategy. The Board is asked to avoid mission creep and adding further priority sectors; for example, growth of the retail sector will follow success in others.

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• Networking - Faster growth will be based on vibrant networks of people willing to share ideas and experiences. Facilitation of like-minded networks already exists and we need more.

• Finance - SMEs cannot grow without access to finance. How can the LEP create networks that get companies investment ready, and then attract funding? Business service providers must be made aware of the support that SMEs need. Is a Business Community Fund possible?

• Entrepreneurial culture - To follow the example of Silicon Valley, we need to rely less on Government funding and more on nurturing a start-up culture and business models that support a higher degree of risk taking, a tolerance of trial and error, and delayed remuneration for lenders.

• Complete package - the West of England needs a one-stop service for potential inward investors, including details of premises, broadband widths, availability of skilled labour, and support networks. Who will take over from the Regional Development Agency in selling the sub-region?

• Right people, right skills - Growth in the West of England will be based on skills and we need to focus on attracting the right people, both to Higher Education institutions (HEIs) and mid-career changers, and retaining them with attractive job prospects and quality of life. Business wants to work more extensively with HEIs but needs to understand that lead times can be long for producing the graduates they want.

• LEP as Lobbyist - Businesses need the

right conditions to reinvest in their own growth. The LEP can lobby for the relaxation of Government barriers; for example, the ‘brutal’ restrictions of employment law.

• Present a united front around the globe -

The LEP must brand the sub-region, and engage all stakeholders in promoting the same message at every opportunity. Be outward looking, avoid parochialism, and align with local economic development strategies as well as national and international initiatives.

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David Bishop outlined the challenges and opportunities for place-making in the West of England, the need to build upon existing successful joint working and issues for the LEP to consider in shaping this work. David Warburton confirmed that ‘place’ was important to people and business, and said that the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) recognised the spatial planning element to place-making and are investing in ‘places’, not projects. Ralph Hawkins gave a development sector perspective of the delivery challenges when seeking to attract business and jobs. Place-making from his perspective meant good quality housing in good quality spaces.

Key points from discussion : • Business couldn’t engage if it was not

communicated with effectively. The LEP should define the mechanisms for communication with business.

• There was an opportunity for the LEP

to look at the creation of new jobs, whilst strengthening the existing job market.

• Some participants expressed the need

to have a clearly communicated integrated plan for the LEP area. This would give certainty and clarity to developers, and potential investors.

C. Place Facilitated by:

• David Bishop, Bristol City Council • Ralph Hawkins, Barratt Homes • David Warburton, Homes & Communities Agency

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• Development took place in the context of existing communities, so integrated planning is also critical at a local level.

• Housing should be seen as assisting

economic growth and considered in an economic perspective not just a planning outcome.

• The construction industry should be seen

as a potential economic driver and an employer. In particular the construction industry could help with training and development needs; for example, through employment skills plans.

• The LEP should produce a compelling

argument for inward investment. There was a need to recognise our quality of life, environment and our cultural infrastructure, which are amongst our unique assets. These are important in

attracting business, and people who wish to live, work and visit the area.

• The LEP could lead the agenda on

carbon efficiency. Retrofitting homes and existing communities had the most potential to contributing to a low carbon future.

• The HCA approach to investing in

place, and in mixed use schemes was welcomed. Current business models were felt to be too rigid and more innovative solutions should be explored by the LEP.

• As part of a strategic plan authorities

and agencies should look at using their assets and explore more creative solutions, for example the potential of Local Asset Backed Vehicles, TIF (Tax Increment Financing) and other funding mechanisms.

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D. Creative and media Facilitated by:

• Caroline Norbury, South West Screen • Clare Reddington, Pervasive Media Studio & iShed

Background information : • The sector employs 2 million people in the

UK (directly and indirectly). • It contributes 8% of GDP – a similar level

to financial services. • The growth rate is double that of some

other sectors. • The sector employs 18,000 people in the

West of England and includes publishing, audio-visual and digital design.

• 87% of the sector’s UK business

demographic is SME. • The sector has a lot of self-employment,

freelancers and micro-businesses. • The challenges are similar to businesses

more generally, and include tax and regulation; infrastructure; and skills.

• Unique challenges also exist. The sector

looks and feels in many ways very different to other sectors of the economy through, for example, the use of disruptive technology, co-creation, and self-distribution. This makes the sector an ‘unconventional’ choice for investors.

• The sector is driven by ideas and

intellectual property, making it more difficult to measure and prove investment returns over a short period.

• The sector is also hard to measure

thanks to the number of small business and freelancers, and markets which are less aggregated than more conventional sectors.

What makes this sector special? • It is diverse and SME-rich, yet operates

on an international scale. • It is driving forward new areas of cross-

sector dialogue; for example, bringing together content and hardware design.

• The sector is agile, highly networked

and very aware of its customer base. It is driven by culture, but with a strong feedback loop back into the cultural vibrancy of the city.

Our offer • In today’s environment, creative

thinking is what the LEP needs now, if it is to succeed.

7. Workshop 2 These sessions focused on some of the growth sectors. Presentations given to all the Workshops are available online at http://www.westofengland.org/local-enterprise-partnership/lep-workshop-january-2011 An asterisk shows a speaker did not use slides.

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• Collaboration, agility and networking are the lifeblood of our businesses.

• Our offer is to bring this thinking to all

sectors of the economy, as well as continue to attract people and businesses with our international cultural offer.

Our needs

• Help to retain ownership of our IP (intellectual property).

• Help with getting financiers to understand we have different needs.

• Improvements to public sector

procurement. • Bigger and better connections with

universities and colleges, so we have the skills we need.

Perhaps most importantly, help with fostering the ecology we have of collaboration for growth and with selling it to the world.

Fostering the Petri-dish / environment / atmosphere /

ecology

Improved intelligence base – properly understanding

the sector

Coverage across the whole West of England – not just Bristol

Media’s ‘patch’

Representing the sector

Need to get the ‘big fish’ business voices

Vision / branding

Barriers to growth

Drivers of growth

Access to finance – SMEs are all generally under-capitalised, but creative businesses have some specific characteristics

that need different models of finance

What we need from the LEP

Simple structures and processes with which to

engage

Skills – graduates often have a low

level of employability skills, and little business

acumen

LEP could track graduate

experiences to learn more about

employability skills

Research and development –cycle of concept to market can be quick compared with other

sectors

Firms do research for clients and so don’t keep

the IP to develop further…

Infrastructure: broadband is crucial – but it’s not just wires

in the ground and aerials. This sector can help maximise

its potential, eg developing metadata standards

This sector’s ‘bread and butter’ – we can

help here!

Need to sell this place to the world!

Interrogate the supply chain and commit to buying

creative services locally

What have the creative industries sectors ever

done for us?

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Key themes : • Globalisation - Advanced manufacturing

is increasingly stretched across the globe. This is both a threat and opportunity.

• Innovation - Innovation is critical to

success of business; for example, SPark and the National Composite Centre will play a key role in development and support for advanced manufacturing.

• Skills - Ensuring the workforce has the

right skills for advanced engineering is a big issue, especially for SMEs. It’s less of an issue for larger businesses, as they tend to have more resource to put into skills development. There is a need to look at the longer term requirements, even to the extent of working more closely with schools to develop a workforce that may not be employed for another 10-15 years. We must be mindful that technology moves on at a rapid pace; skills provision needs to be flexible.

• Opportunities - We should look at how

we can make the best of opportunities. Many skills and processes are transferable and we should harness this; for example, addressing the need of the proposed nuclear facilities in our area or looking to wind turbines and other new sustainable technologies.

• Export - Exporting our goods and

services is fundamental to generating wealth and inward investment.

The above themes are common with those in the other sector workshops. Even within this sector we see some silos. To tackle these common issues we will need to bring the sectors together and this is just starting to happen, with an initial focus on innovation. There is a question as to how the focus on the key sectors will generate the required volume of jobs. Clearly there is a proportion of employment that will be highly skilled, but there will also be a larger proportion of jobs that will require lower and intermediate skills. As an example of potential jobs, if Rolls Royce wins the contract to develop the engines for the A380, then Rolls Royce will double in size. Key points from discussion : 1. The LEP must agree what it is and then

communicate. 2. Communication in this sector is key; a

coordinated approach is necessary to have a stake in this global sector now and priorities must be communicated.

3. Business knowledge must be locally

communicated to redirect local business.

4. The LEP needs to be the strategic

alliance between business, local authorities and skills providers to drive skills agenda in order to meet future demand.

5. We must celebrate strengths and

successes in order to stimulate people

E. Advanced engineering, aerospace and defence

• Facilitated by Barry Warburton, West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF)*

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into the sector and bring new jobs/inward investment.

6. LEP needs to recognise it speaks for the

network of networks.

7. The need to promote the sector within the locality, as well as nationally and internationally, to encourage local people to aspire to be employed in the sector.

The speakers said that there were huge opportunities in this sector and that the West of England had strong foundations. Leverage was high and the barriers to further success were not insurmountable. There was a lot which could be done to unlock the potential; for example, strengthening the start-up culture. Key points from discussion :

• Although this is an important sector (the

largest silicon design cluster outside California), is a high growth sector and draws on a very skilled workforce (90%+ of employees are graduate/post graduate), it is not well publicised and needs to raise its profile both nationally and internationally.

• The sector suffers from fragmentation

with few focal points, due in part to the prevalence of small businesses (with an average size of 22 people) and lack of

8. Capitalise on the breakdown of the relationships between LEPs in the North West in this sector and use it as an opportunity to take a National lead.

9. Industry is doing really well out of maintaining, refurbishing and decommissioning, as well as manufacturing and developing; this highlights the importance of diversification. large ‘home grown’ companies, but the proposed sector group could help with engagement.

• Small companies are often more

creative and agile. How can we retain the creativity inherent in small companies but give them a bigger voice?

• Micro-electronics is an enabling industry and there is a need to work more closely with related (growth) sectors and exploit customers on the doorstep, eg crossover with creative industries, aerospace etc, as well as the emerging markets in ICT for Smart Grids and Health Care.

• What are the opportunities to use the

local area as a test bed for new product development, particularly in areas of challenge for public sector service delivery, such as services to the ageing population?

F. Micro-electronic and silicon design Facilitated by:

• Professor Mark Beach, University of Bristol • Phil Morris, ST Microelectronics (R&D) Limited

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• The industry needs to get more from the Higher Education sector, to harness the important role of the micro-electronics i-net, to raise awareness of career opportunities across a number of small companies, and find ways to engage earlier with graduates before they complete their studies.

• The profile of the sector and its

businesses could be raised by tailored competitions or awards, or better understanding existing opportunities.

• The sector could benefit from the

development of shared test equipment which is expensive and difficult for SMEs

The speakers said there were real opportunities for growth in this sector, but a lack of precedent, since it was dependent on high innovation and a high level of changes in technology. James Hurley spoke about turning rubbish into resources. There were variable returns on investment in variable markets; for example, returns on reconditioned items were 350%, on remodelled items 150% and on reclaimed timber 50%. Key points from discussion : • We need to develop a common

understanding of the sector, what it is, the economic opportunities it provides and what skills it needs to develop and grow;

to access, although this would have to be formally managed and maintained.

• There is a need for cultural change to place more emphasis on growing the company, rather than selling on the product, which would also assist with the profile (ie local companies are not related back to the products/ components they supply).

• It is difficult to market the West of

England area (particularly overseas) when it lacks a well-known descriptor other than ‘Bristol’ - perhaps ‘Silicon Gorge the home of digitally connected design’.

• The LEP needs to support the sector to

translate ideas into commercial reality; • Networking within the Environmental

Technology sector and with other sectors (e.g. aerospace) is crucial. This will help share knowledge and develop new ideas and innovation;

• We need to influence curriculum

development to ensure resource use is taught from an early stage;

• Other LEP areas are ahead of us. We

need to move forward rapidly with our understanding of the sector or we will lose our edge;

• We need to forecast where future

opportunities will be; for example, make the most of the Green Deal by

G. Environmental Technologies/marine renewable industries Facilitated by:

• Amy Robinson, Low Carbon SW • James Hurley, MASCo WALCOT

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developing skills to take advantage of new opportunities it will bring (e.g. insulation etc);

• The focus should be on resource use

(e.g. re-use, re-cycle and re-engineer), rather than carbon reduction;

• Further work is needed on ‘end of life’ solutions – learn lessons from automotive industry

The LEP should lead 5 actions: 1. Map the sector across the West of

England – focussing on the economic opportunity it brings;

2. Articulate a stronger vision for the

sector;

3. Communicate this vision across the sector and improve networks and communications;

4. LEP should promote the sub-region as

the leader on environmental technologies and resource use;

5. The LEP should focus on developing the

right skills for future business growth in the sector.

Ultimately the focus needs to be on providing the context for business growth by making better use of the physical resources available to us. This will lead to growth in sustainable, sustainable businesses.

The speakers said that the overall objective should be to improve the visitor experience and increase the value created by tourism, rather than the volume of visitors. We needed to encourage more overnight visitors, who spend more. Surveys show that the problems that annoy visitors are the same problems that annoy residents. Tourism jobs were not low value and there was a need to develop tourism skills and improve perceptions of tourism as a career option. The LEP should focus on ensuring the area was included in the government’s ‘attack brands’ for marketing overseas. It was

important to get a foothold into new markets, especially China, but it took several years before any financial return was seen. Key issues from discussion : Skills and employment: • Skills surveys have identified a strong

need for investment in tourism skills. Tourism has the potential to reach greater numbers than some other sectors.

• Tourism is a key way to help young

people into employment, with great potential for career progression.

H. Tourism Facilitated by:

• Mary Lynch, Bath Tourism Plus • Feisal Khalif, Destination Bristol

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We should maximise the benefits of our diverse population, drawing on our internationalism and languages. • We need to share good practice within

the West of England - and to learn from elsewhere.

• We should train and encourage anyone

who is going to come into contact with visitors, eg taxi-drivers.

• Could the LEP encourage take-up of

existing FE courses, which is often low? We may need to go out and take the training to the business locations to make it easier for them; innovative schemes are already doing this.

• A bid has been made to the Regional

Growth Fund for South West funding. The West of England would manage the funds.

Other points: • Don’t forget Weston-super-Mare (7m

visitors a year)! We need to find the right strategic focus for the West of England; different parts have different ‘offers’ and we have to work out how they complement each other and promote that.

• Tourism brings indirect benefits to many

sectors: taxi-drivers, shops, local food suppliers, etc.

• We should look for quick wins; for

example, by linking to the Olympics. • We should think about “tourism and

leisure”, not just tourism. They are often the businesses with the same skill

sets - and we need to take advantage of the local (resident) market.

• SW Tourism was too focused on beaches and nature. We need a more distinctive identity.

• We should look at the wider

catchments and work with, for example, the Mendips and the Cotswolds.

• We should tap into the universities; for

example, through former students and family and friends of existing students.

• We should identify places that we think

are good, pick out the aspects that make them good and learn from them.

• Transport infrastructure is important to

facilitate easy movement around the area. The infrastructure exists in many cases, but is not well-communicated or easy for a new visitor to understand.

• We should create a clear picture of

‘place’ and communicate it! Then get everyone to sign up and spread the word.

• The tourism sector is seeing an

increasing number of short breaks; we could strengthen this in the West of England by building up a year-round offer.

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8. Workshop Feedback (summary)

People:

Focus on the development and flexible delivery of skills that will support: • Volume employment • The needs of business in the future and develop new ways of working with partners to release resources.

Business needs:

Key issues: • Shared vision • Networks • People and skills • Access to finance • Complete package • Connectivity • Outward focus

Place:

Integrated place planning for the LEP area as a whole, but this is also critical at local communities level: • Mix of housing • Employment land • Green space • Cultural infrastructure. Transition will be a challenge for some of our existing neighbourhoods.

Creative and media:

In today’s environment creative thinking is what the LEP needs now if it is to succeed. Collaboration agility and being highly networked are the life-blood of our Businesses. Our offer is to bring this thinking to all sectors of the economy, as well as continue to attract people and business with our international global offer. All we ask in return is: • Help retaining ownership or our IP • Help with getting financers to understand we have different needs • Changes to public sector procurement • Bigger and better connections to universities and colleges so we

have the skills we need. But most importantly help us foster the ecology we have for growth and sell it to the world.

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Aerospace, Defence and Advanced Engineering:

The LEP needs to represent the sector locally, regionally and nationally. Working through partnership, it needs to generate and develop a suitable skills base, encouraging the development of transferable skills through diversification and innovation and recognising and servicing common innovation and technology needs.

Micro-electronics and Silicon Design:

Silicon Gorge - the home of digitally connected design.

Environmental Technologies / Marine Renewable Industries:

The LEP should lead 5 actions: • Map the sector across the area, focusing on the

economic opportunity it brings • Articulate a stronger vision for the sector • Communicate this vision across the sector and

improve networks and communications • Promote the sub-region as the leader on

environmental technologies and resource use • Focus on developing the right skills for future business

growth in the sector.

Tourism:

• Skills are at the heart of the challenge • Great potential to bring young people into

employment and ongoing training • Make it easier to get around • What benefits visitors also benefits residents and

attracts business • Encourage pride in the area

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9. Plenary The panel were: • Neil Gibson from Oxford Economics • Colin Skellett, Wessex Water and Chair of the Interim Board • Prof. Joe McGeehan, Toshiba Research Europe, member of the Interim Board • Councillor Barbara Janke, Leader of Bristol City Council • Amanda Deeks, Chief Executive of South Gloucestershire Council

Q: Manufacturing decline by 19% in 2010 – 20, yet Neil Gibson’s presentations seemed to indicate that it was a growth sector.

A: Neil Gibson It’s about out-sourcing and knowing the sector’s true footprint. Low value-added jobs matter. We need to get away from the stigma surrounding these jobs. Industry will be smaller and employ less, but its footprint - via outsourcing - will be larger. A: Joe McGeehan Manufacturing not dead and there are lots of examples in the West of England where the industry is thriving. A: Cllr Janke There needs to be a lateral transference of skills. It’s not just about building big engines. The skills agenda is not keeping pace in certain areas. This requires forward thinking and the focus on an independent supply.

Q: The Rwandan Ambassador says they need to be land-linked, not land-locked. We need to look at how we better link up the region. We need to focus on transport and connectivity.

A: Amanda Deeks The LEP will support electrification, Transport Major Schemes, etc. It needs to focus on shared links between sectors and supply chains, and avoid being too inward looking. A: Cllr Janke We need to connect with the bigger strategic picture. We need to review our geographical boundaries beyond the West of England, whether that is to do with, for example, broadband provision or transport. A: Neil Gibson Technology is already very connected. The problem is that we assume everyone has the same level of knowledge, but they don’t. The area needs to be made more attractive and more accessible in terms of its marketing and broadband speed, for example.

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Q: We need to recognise the link between the private and finance sectors and the impact on the public sector.

A: Joe McGeehan The two (public and private sectors) are linked, but that link must be maintained. A: Neil Gibson We must recognise our local market and, in turn, help local firms understand that market.

Q: Given that it is a major employer, why is the Voluntary and Community Sector not represented on the LEP Board?

A: Colin Skellett The LEP recognises the need to communicate effectively and to engage as wide a range of sectors as necessary. It is impractical to have a representative of every sector and every business or employer on the Board. The Board must be strategic and focussed. Much of the work will be done in sub-groups where the VCS will have ample opportunity to input and be engaged. A: Neil Gibson Don’t lose sight of the progress of the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) with regards to employment and employability (skills, etc) against the private sector. The VCS is all about the people.

Q: There are 15,500 paid VCS staff in the South West, along with 40,000 volunteers. The VCS must be on the Board. The VCS is best placed to tackle worklessness – how does the LEP intend to do this without them?

A: Colin Skellett It doesn’t. The LEP recognises that the best people to advise on certain areas of work are those that have specialist knowledge in that area. However, we cannot have every sector represented on the Board. A: Cllr Janke Bristol City Council has protected the VCS in Bristol and recognises the value of cross working. We need intelligence from the VCS. If we lose the VCS capacity, it’s very hard to get it back.

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Q: How will the enterprising nature of the VCS get incorporated into the LEP?

A: Amanda Deeks We need to change shape so we can deliver localism. For private sector colleagues, the issue is how to procure differently and more effectively. We need to deliver better value for the taxpayer whilst purchasing more locally. A: Neil Gibson This squeeze gives the public sector a chance to really consider how it re-positions and how it delivers locally. The LEP can help them do this. We need strategic networks to ensure the best placed sectors do the work.

Q: How are small businesses represented on the LEP and how can they scrutinise the decisions of big business?

A: Colin Skellett It will be very open, with minutes and agenda publicly available. Good communication is vital to our success. These matters will be taken into consideration in the transition to a full board. A: Joe McGeehan Big business needs SMEs.

10. Closing remarks Colin Skellett said that he wanted the Interim Board to be slim and flexible, and able to react. He said that the Board would be a commissioning body that would focus on quick wins, such as rail electrification, Major Schemes submissions and the Regional Development Agency assets, particularly the Science Park. The LEP needed to have a pro-active plan for engaging with government, looking at the Capacity Fund and the Regional Growth Fund in particular, and how best to support individual groups.

The West of England LEP was now in a position of knowing how it wanted to do things and was ready to start delivering. Good points had been made about skills provision. It was not all about high-level skills, but also about skills provision being tailored to meet the needs of business.

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11. Workshop Programme

West of England Local Enterprise Partnership

Workshop Programme

24 January 2011

University of the West of England Conference Centre, North Entrance, Frenchay Campus, BS34 8QZ

8.30am Registration and coffee 8.50am Welcome

Colin Skellett, Chair, Interim Board of the Local Enterprise Partnership and Executive Chairman, Wessex Water Ltd

9.00am Keynote Speaker: LEPs Supporting Business Growth

Neil Gibson, Oxford Economics 9.30am Presentation: LEP Submission to Government

• Jan Ormondroyd, Chief Executive, Bristol City Council • Colin Skellett, Chair, Interim Board of the Local Enterprise Partnership and

Executive Chairman, Wessex Water Ltd

9.45am Workshop 1 (select A, B or C) Brief presentations on each LEP key theme, followed by the opportunity to give your views on the main issues and priorities and how you could contribute to delivery. Note-takers will be present.

A. People: Keith Elliott, City of Bristol College; Marlene Morley, Ministry of

Defence; Fern Urquhart, University of the West of England B. Business: Phil Smith, GWE Business West; Martin Coulthard, Science City; Janis

Sinton, Tastetech Limited C. Place: David Bishop, Bristol City Council; Ralph Hawkins, Barratt Homes; David

Warburton, Homes and Communities Agency

10.45am Coffee 11.15am Workshop 2 (select D, E, F, G or H)

Brief presentations on the strengths and potential of each key business sector and how the LEP could support their further development, followed by the opportunity to give your views. Note-takers will be present.

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D. Creative and Media

Speakers: Clare Reddington, Pervasive Media and iShed; Caroline Norbury, SW Screen

E. Advanced Engineering, Aerospace & Defence

Speaker: Barry Warburton, West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF)

F. Micro-electronics and Silicon Design: Speakers: Professor Mark Beach, University of Bristol; Phil Morris, ST Microelectronics (R&D) Limited

G. Environmental Technologies / Marine Renewable Industries: Speakers: Amy Robinson, Low Carbon SW; James Hurley, MASCo WALCOT

H. Tourism

Speakers: Feisal Khalif, Destination Bristol; Mary Lynch, Bath Tourism Plus/Mary Lynch Associates

12.15pm Feedback

In three minutes a spokesperson from each of the eight workshops will summarise ‘the most significant issue raised’ at their workshop.

12.45pm Plenary

The panel will respond to questions and debate the issues • Colin Skellett, Chair, Interim Board of the Local Enterprise Partnership and

Executive Chairman, Wessex Water Ltd • Cllr Barbara Janke, Leader, Bristol City Council • Joe McGeehan, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd & University of Bristol • Amanda Deeks, Chief Executive, South Gloucestershire Council

1.15pm Closing remarks

Colin Skellett, Chair, Interim Board of the Local Enterprise Partnership and Executive Chairman, Wessex Water Ltd

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Aardman Animations Airbus Augusta Westland Avon Biodiversity Partnership Barrett Development Bath & North East Somerset Council Bath Spa University Bath Tourism Plus Bath Ventures, Bath University Beachcroft Bevan Brittan Bristol Airport Bristol Chamber of Commerce & Initiative Bristol City Council Bristol Community Housing Federation Bristol Media BT Business in the Community Care Forum CBI Centre for Sustainable Energy City of Bath College City of Bristol College Construction Skills Co-operatives - SW CVS South Gloucestershire David Wilson Homes Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering (CECA) Dectel Destination Bristol EEF Enterprise and Innovation, Bristol University Environment Agency Equality South West Federation of Small Businesses Filton College First Forum for the Future FSB Weston-super-Mare Future Bath Plus Government Office for the South West GWE Business West Hartnell, Taylor and Cook Highways Agency Homes and Communities Agency Jobcentre Plus

King Sturge Knightstone Housing Association Knowle West Media Centre Learning Partnership West Lloyds TSB Low Carbon South West MASCo WALCOT Ministry of Defence Nameless Digital Creatives Natural England Network Rail North Somerset Council Norton Radstock College Oxford Economics Persimmon Homes Pervasive Media Studio Proctor & Stevenson Quantum Quidos Ltd Raymond Brown Group Re:work Redrow Homes Science City Set Squared Skills Funding Agency South Gloucestershire Council South West Regional Development Agency South West Screen ST Microelectronics Sustrans SW Design Forum Tastetech Limited The Initiative in Bath and North East Somerset The Mall, Cribbs Causeway Toshiba Research Europe Ltd University of Bath University of Bristol University of the West of England Watershed Wessex Forum West of England Aerospace Forum West of England Partnership Weston College White Design Wildscreen

12. Organisations represented at the Workshop