The new Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum has met for the first time to discuss issues including the Cornwall Good Growth Plan and the future of Cornwall Newquay Airport.
The meeting was chaired by Lord Hutton, who began by announcing the appointment of Professor Emma Hunt, the Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of Falmouth University, into the role of Vice Chair and Chair of the CIoS Workforce and Skills Board which is a sub-group of the Forum following the recent open recruitment process. Lord Hutton welcomed Emma to her role which will be pivotal in ensuring the critical alignment of business growth in Cornwall with the skills and workforce that meets the needs of future growth ambitions.
The Forum has been created to embed a strong, independent, and diverse local business voice for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly at the heart of local and national Government, and is made up of business leaders, university and innovation leaders, politicians and supported by Cornwall Council officers.
It will provide strategic challenge and business advocacy to Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly, influencing business policy, and empowering the private sector to assist in determining economic strategies and interventions, shaping investment and better aligning workforce and skills provision influencing policy makers and investors at local, national, and international levels to promote economic growth in the region.
Lord Hutton told the meeting it is the perfect moment to launch: "We are now almost a week into a new Government and are actively working on the aim that key Cornwall and Isles of Scilly asks are secured in early in the new Government as manifesto pledges harden into policy and draft legislation.
"We may be on the periphery geographically, but our role is to ensure that it is heard loud and clear that our region and our sectors are central to a more sustainable United Kingdom.
"There is a clear manifesto commitment to transfer power out of Westminster and transition to a clean-energy economy – we are ideally positioned to lead a ‘green industrial revolution’ as the centrepiece of a national Green Prosperity Plan.
The Economic Forum undertook a full discussion during their meeting on the strategic context, strengths and challenges, and investment priorities and proposed changes including requesting a clearer articulation of the characteristics and opportunities across Cornwall’s three sector types – distinctive, core and foundational and their respective productivity potential and include clear articulation of the cross-cutting sector opportunities of digital and manufacturing. This feedback will be presented to Cornwall Council for their consideration on 24 July
The Forum recognised the importance of setting Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly apart from other places to ensure our distinctive offer stands out and is well recognised within the national context and results in further investment and devolution powers being conferred. There is important mapping to be undertaken of the contribution Cornwall's sectors can make to national ambitions and aims set out in the Labour manifesto.
A key element of any future growth plan is alignment of the future workforce and skills plan to ensure that Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has the labour market for current and future needs. This will be the driving focus of the work programme for the new Workforce and Skills Board to create a thriving and sustainable place where everyone can start well, live well, age well.
Following the meeting, Professor Hunt said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed as Chair of the Workforce and Skills Board. I am looking forward to bringing together individuals from across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to work together to develop a clear understanding of current and future skills needs, driving change to provide skills needed in the local economy and for our employers, while also recognising the position of CIoS in regional and national employment and skills requirements.
“We want to create growth in every community across the region and workforce development and skills alignment will ensure that opportunities for growth are shared across every corner of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.”
ENDS