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Maidstone Borough Council

Regeneration and Economic Development

Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Monday 25 February 2013

Call for evidence on local growth and the skills system

Report of: Performance & Scrutiny Officer

1.      Introduction

1.1        On the 11 February 2013 the All Party Parliamentary Group on Local Growth, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Enterprise Zones, announced a call for evidence on local growth and the skills system, to feed into an inquiry reporting in spring 2013.

 2.     Recommendation

2.1        That the Committee consider the verbal update from John Foster, Economic Development Manager on the Council’s response.

3       Maidstone’s Response

3.1    Local Enterprise Partnerships are voluntary partnerships between local authorities and businesses formed in 2011 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to help determine local economic priorities and lead economic growth and job creation within its local area. They carry out some of the functions previously carried out by the regional development agencies which were abolished in March 2012.

3.2    Maidstone is part of the South East LEP which includes East Sussex (all) Essex (all), Kent (all), Medway (unitary), Southend-on-Sea (unitary) and Thurrock (unitary).

3.3    This inquiry into local growth and the skills system aims to understand the barriers that businesses, LEPs and local authorities face in bringing employers and skills providers together and matching provision with need, gather more detail on good practice on the ground, and make credible recommendations for improvement.

5.      Impact on Corporate Objectives

5.1     The Committee will consider reports that deliver against the     following Council priority:

·         ‘For Maidstone to have a growing economy.’

5.2     The Strategic Plan sets the Council’s key objectives for the medium   term and has a range of objectives which support the delivery of         the Council’s priorities.  Actions to deliver these key objectives may      therefore include work that the Committee will consider over the       next year.