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Networking Events
The Somerset Market Towns Employment Project
Market towns in Somerset are working together to improve employment opportunities, as part of Somerset County Council's Market Town Employment Project. Six market towns with vulnerable economies are sharing their plans on how they are tackling future employment problems with other market towns across Somerset.
At a joint event held in North Petherton the six market towns benefiting from Somerset County Council's Market Town Employment Project, which is funded by the European Social Fund 'Innovative Measures' programme, met with other market towns which are members of the Somerset Market Towns Forum for the final networking and dissemination event.
The six towns, Bridgwater, Chard, Shepton Mallet, Watchet/Williton, Wellington and Yeovil, have been working with the County Council to develop new employments opportunities in the towns. In Watchet a study has identified the potential for marine based industries to serve the marina, offering new types of employment for local people. The Chard Market towns project group commissioned a consultant to look at the feasibility of siting a business development centre for environmental businesses in the town. Bridgwater, Wellington and Yeovil are all looking to attract new businesses from outside the county, with Yeovil developing an enhanced response to business enquiries, Wellington launching a website to attract in new businesses and Bridgwater looking at the potential growth sectors on which to focus. A different approach is being taken by Shepton Mallet where the idea of a 'one stop employment shop' is being investigated.
Each of the towns gave a presentation at the event along with the key notes speakers, Graham Keating, Director of Communications at Yeo Valley and Don Hedges, Chairman of M3 Making the Most of Martock.
To view the programme and the presentations from the event, click on the links below.
Yeo Valley Presentation - Graham Keating November 05
M3 Presentation - Don Hedges November 05
Bridgwater Presentation November 05
Chard Presentation November 05
Shepton Mallet Presentation November 05
Watchet/Williton Presentation November 05
Yeovil Presentation November 05
Overarching Project Presentation November 05
Chard, Wellington and Yeovil come together to talk business
The Market Town Partnerships in Chard, Wellington and Yeovil came together on Thursday 7th July at Cleve Hotel for the second networking event to discuss how to create employment opportunities for the towns to avoid over dependence on manufacturing.
Chard, Wellington and Yeovil have been identified as three of six Somerset market towns that require assistance in diversifying the economy to reduce the risk of devastation if the town's major employers reduce the local workforce.
The Market Towns Partnerships, which are funded by the European Social Fund, Somerset County Council, the District Councils and Business Link, heard from the keynote speaker Mhairi Holway from the local employer, Relyon, about the skills requirements to ensure the future viability of the company. Cathie Morrison, Chair of the Chard Partnership, Andrew Govier, Chair of the Wellington Partnership and Stuart Annett from Business Link described what plans the towns are adopting to tackle the employment challenges they face. The closing presentation was a report on the interim evaluation of the project by the Community Council's Andrew Freeman.
The Market Town Partnerships have identified making the towns more attractive to new businesses, greater access to childcare, improving local transport and more local centres for training as some major obstacles that need tackling and are now planning a series of project launches over 2005 and 2006 to address these issues.
Councillor Paul Buchanan, Someset County Council's Economic Development Portfolio holder and local member for Chard North said "Somerset is a market town county and we need to support other council wide initiatives such as the Somerset Strategic Partnership and the Visions for Taunton and Yeovil to offer a bright employment future for local residents. The Market Towns Employment Project has an important role to play in this process"
Stephanie Berry, Somerset County Council's Market Towns Employment Project Co-ordinator added, "This is an exciting time for Chard, Wellington and Yeovil. The resources made available to the Market Town Partnerships from the EU, County and District Councils and Business Link means that we can have the funds to ensure that the work of the groups is focused on delivery and making a real difference to the future of these towns."
To view the presentations from the networking event, click on the presentation title below.
Interim Evaluation Presentation July 05
The first networking event
Local people in six Somerset market towns have joined forces to help create new job opportunities and drive their town's future economic success forward with support from the Somerset Market Towns Employment Project.
The aim of this project is to create local labour strategies specifically for rural towns that may be at risk of decline due to an over-dependence on manufacturing.
Pioneering residents of Bridgwater, Chard, Shepton Mallet, Watchet/Williton, Wellington and Yeovil were quick to grasp the benefits of the project and meet at networking events to share experiences and exchange ideas on how best to adapt to Somerset's changing industrial needs. Representatives from the groups in each town met together for the first time at a netowrking event at Hornsbury Mill near Chard on Thursday 24 February, organised by Somerset County Council as the lead partner in the project. Also attending were other partners which include the five district councils in Somerset, Business Link, Learning and Skills Council, Jobcentre Plus, the colleges in Somerset and the Somerset Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Town Councillor Cathie Morrison, Chair of the Chard partnership said: 'I found the meeting useful to realise that Chard is not the only town in South Somerset or nationally to have issues with employment. I would like to think that we could all work together to see if we can find a way of solving some of the problems.'
Chair of the Wellington partnership, Councillor Andrew Govier also remarked how useful it is to meet and share ideas and said: 'I obtained a lot of information that will be very relevant to Wellington. I was particularly interested in the experiences other towns had come across and how they had dealt with them. A number of issues are already emerging from our discussions with major employers in the town, including the need for more affordable childcare, better public transport and extra training facilities to improve skill levels. I look forward to working with the other members of the team to establish an action plan for the town in these areas.'
Delegates learnt that it is certainly not all doom and gloom in manufacturing in Somerset. Andrew Smith of Numatic International in Chard emphasised that the company needs skilled peole and invests every year in apprenticeship opportunities.
Somerset County Council's Portfolio Holder for Community, Regeneration and Development, Cllr Alan Gloak remarked how important networking and exchanging ideas is to moving forward: 'By networking and exchanging ideas in these forums we can exploit the many opportunities, which are open to business in our market towns. Partnership working is as important a tool in helping to bring prosperity to our Market Towns as the jobs themselves.'
The town partnerships were also able to learn from one of the other four projects in the UK supported under the European Social Fund Article 6. Hadyn Rees described some of the findings from research leading to the development of a county wide employment strategy for Northamptonshire. Lord Ewen Cameron of Dillington, Chair of the Somerset Strategic Partnership, put the work of the towns into the context of what is happening nationally with the Market Towns Initiative and described how the local strategies fit into both the Somerset Economic Strategy and the Regional Economic Strategy.
To view the presentations from the networking event click on the presentation title below:
Numatic International presentation.pdf
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