Heads of the Valleys Low Carbon Zone Programme

11th November 2010

Sharanne Basham-Pyke, BITC Wales

mobilising business for good

Engagement

• Meet the Buyer– 25 businesses have requested follow up support in:

• Behaving as Responsible Business

• Procurement

• Environment

• HR practices

• Green Business Skills Forum– Representation from SMEs and large corporates

– 24 attendees

– Chaired by Graham Edwards CEO, Wales and West Utilities

– Sub Group established (Funding)

• Positive feedback – 35 businesses and a waiting list

mobilising business for good

Significant progress in a short timescale

• Continued the success of Green Business Skills Forum– 7th May 2010 – UES– 30th June 2010 – Rockwool– 7th September 2010, Hosted HRH as part of Project Start– 13th October 2010 – Seeing is Believing– 20th/21st October 2010 - 121 meetings with AMs (cross party)– December meeting with Ministers and AMs

• 6 Sub Groups– Funding, job creation, skills, social and indirect impact– Private Equity – opportunity for solar PV and other investments– Societal Impact – Curriculum Forum– Seeing is Believing– Procurement

mobilising business for good

What businesses have been telling us

• The size of the business challenge in HOV• The employability challenge• The lack of green skills in the workforce• The dependency on award of contract to make

investments in skills• They don’t have a collective voice• SMEs want to grow their businesses by

becoming part of the supply chain • They want to do more!

mobilising business for good

Importance of Training Sector

• Businesses don’t differentiate education and training in the same ways as the sectors

• They have genuine concerns about the right skills being available at the right time in the right place

• The Skills Audit and Needs Analysis has been shared with UHOVI (FE and HE) and the training sector – via Rachel Searle

Opportunity• To create a Low Carbon Zone in HoV and a green

economyRisk• LCZ is created but regeneration doesn’t happen as

resources are shipped in..and then shipped out again!

mobilising business for good

• Any Questions?

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