Leaders from nine Leicestershire councils will form the partnership, known as a Multi-Area Agreement (MAA), to develop a new ‘train to retain’ scheme to improve local skills and encourage more of the 15,000 people who graduate from Leicestershire universities each year to stay to live and work in the area.
Under the plans, the Universities of Leicester, Loughborough and De Montfort, as MAA partners, will allow local people to attend ‘step on step off’ university classes without registering for a full-time degree.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said:
“No council can work in isolation to tackle the economic challenges that local communities face, particularly in a downturn.
“So I congratulate councils in Leicestershire for coming together and agreeing a Multi-Area Agreement.
“The Train to Retain plans will remove the barriers that often prevent local people from benefiting from courses available at Leicestershire’s universities, and will help them to develop new and existing skills - meaning they’ll be qualified to seize local employment opportunities and make the most of the economic upturn when it comes."
The nine councils in the Leicestershire and Leicester MAA will also work with agencies including the East Midlands Development Agency, JobCentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council to tailor their services to meet the needs of local people moving off benefits and into work.
In particular, councils in the Leicester and Leicestershire MAA will support people in the first month of work with a job grants – ensuring they have an income between when their benefits have stopped and while they are waiting for their first wage slip.
Specialised support will also be available to small businesses in Leicestershire, to ensure that they are well-placed to take advantage of the economic upturn when it comes.
Phil Hope, Minister for the East Midlands, said:
“I am delighted at the signing of the first Multi Area Agreement in the East Midlands. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the City and County Council Leaders and the commitment and support of a wide range of partners.”
“Focussing on getting people into work, improving skills and business growth this agreement should allow Leicester and Leicestershire the flexibility to face the current economic challenges and develop the best outcomes for local people.”
David Parsons, Leader of Leicestershire County Council said:
“The City and County Councils have recognised the need for us to work together to ensure that our sub-regional economy is stable in the short-term and that it grows in the future.
“Through the MAA, we have established a new political relationship based on shared objectives, common goals and flexibility and we are confident that our partnership will deliver positive outcomes.”
Today’s event is the culmination of a week of government activity which has seen the Prime Minister focused on the regional aspects of the downturn and action to help individuals and businesses in the face of current economic difficulties as well as long-term reforms for boosting skills and employment.
When the country last faced serious economic difficulty in the 80s and 90s councils didn’t have the powers, skills or financial resources to respond. London alone stood out as the country’s single economic powerhouse.
Over the last decade we have invested in regenerating our towns and cities which has created a regional renaissance of jobs and prosperity and because local leaders know their area best the government’s devolution agenda has given more money, power and controls to councils up and down the country.
Hazel Blears will shortly begin a series of regional delivery workshops to see at ground level what difference devolved powers are making to local economies and look at where we can devolve more to support councils deliver greater prosperity.
