Whilst unemployment in Swindon is well below the national average at just 1.3%, there are still fantastic efforts being made locally to help those looking for work into careers that best suit them. Yesterday I was at Steam for Swindon Jobfest 2017 which is an event put on by Swindon Borough Council to encourage engagement between local employers and young people. Last year there were over 80 employers which attended and this year was equally successful with major employers including Nationwide, Network Rail, Thames Water, Great Western Hospital, Honda and BMW. As well as smaller employers including accountancy firms, marketing companies and recruitment agencies. Both the RAF and Army Reserves also had stands which were very popular.
Not only was the event a chance to gain employment, but it is also provided an opportunity to gain valuable advice from employers and learn exactly what skills they are looking for. I spoke to many people at the event including the employers who were enthusiastic to chat about the opportunities they have on offer, as well as the young people who were excited (albeit a little apprehensive) to see the roles available. One lad I chatted to had had to battle with severe anxiety before even contemplating looking for work. Thankfully he had managed to overcome this barrier by working with fantastic local organisations including Inner Flame and he was now completely confident with talking to different employers and discussing what talent he had to offer.
It's stories like this which demonstrate just how important these sorts of events are. Having a job with a regular pay packet can provide a real sense of purpose and pride, and rightly the Government has put major focus on getting more people into work. That’s why since 2010 we have seen over 8,400 more jobs created locally. But it is right that more energy is now being put into assisting those who require just a little bit more help to ensure that they get the right training and support which is tailored for them. That’s why it is so encouraging to see the fantastic work being done at Job Centres, especially through the introduction of individual work coaches and the small employer pilot which aims to engage with smaller local employers in order to help with their recruitment needs
Finally council’s across the country are setting the amount of council tax that they will charge. Amidst all of this, the Government is rightly recognising that local authorities are facing increasing cost pressures predominately from Adult Social care, which is why from 2018/19 they will allow council’s to keep 100% of their business rate growth. I have just finished serving on the Local Government Finance Bill where we went through the legislation line by line. I spoke up for this move as it represents a huge boost to Swindon as it will reward our town for its impressive growth year on year.
Therefore as the MPs, both Robert and I will continue to champion our local business community to attract new investment and regeneration. This local economic growth will secure the next generation of jobs and will deliver a crucial increase in funding for our vital local services.
