opportunities are limited in number. Some people in mid
career (45-60) have re-training needs as do women who
aspire to enter the labour market. Many residents
have low aspirations. Our newly arrived communities need
language support and basic literacy and numeracy. Older
people will have to work longer due to the higher retirement
age and pension pressures. These issues are exacerbated
by the adverse economic and job outlook in Britain.
Actions
1. Link Skills, Employment and Enterprise Partnership
Delivery Group (SEE PDG) to the Employment,
Enterprise and Skills Group of the LEP to ensure
regional priorities are filtered down to the local level.
2. Work closely with Aspire and support it to deliver
regional employment and skills priorities in Slough.
3. Ensure provision and reach meets the needs of all
unemployed cohorts including the ‘hidden
unemployed’.
4. Deliver City Deal regional priorities in Slough with a
focus on the town’s individual needs.
5. Understand Employer Skills needs to inform local skills
delivery and careers guidance.
6. To keep the NEETs levels low and ensure that there
is provision to support those that are not in education,
employment and training.
7. To maintain and develop partnership working with
Heathrow Airport Limited’s Academies model ensuring
Slough residents have employment opportunities for
retail, aviation and construction work.
8. Support employers with providing Apprenticeship
opportunities.
9. To work closely with the internal planning department to
be aware of new businesses coming into the town so
that opportunities of local recruitment can be maximised.
Measures of Success
1. Greater number of Apprenticeship opportunities.
2. Higher number of residents with NVQ Level 2 and
above qualification.
3. Lower number of young people on the NEETs register.
4. Higher number of people that are economically active.
PRIORITY 2 - BUSINESS GENERATION,
RETENTION AND INWARD INVESTMENT
Aims
Enable economic growth in the town by supporting start
ups, business growth amongst established businesses and
attracting new businesses to the town.
Issues
Start Up provision in the town is limited. Access to Finance
has been a barrier to business development and not all
business are receiving the LEP’s message of financial
support. The competition for inward investment and
reinvestment across the globe is very bullish. Mainland
Europe is seen as an attractive alternative to UK investment.
Slough must develop a sound proposition for its area so
that national and international companies choose Slough
as their base.
Actions
1. Provide business start up advice and support.
2. Enable business incubation space in collaboration
with partners.
3. Facilitate networking amongst key sectors to promote
knowledge and business development.
4. Review internal SBC processes to ensure they are
‘open to business’.
5. Ensure SBC business pages on main website are
accessible, relevant and up to date.
6. Facilitate 2 - 3 business events a year on topics of
interest to the business community.
7. Celebrate the success of local businesses by
showcasing an annual ‘Community and Catering
Business Awards event’.
8. Present
ebsite as
a showcase of the town and monitor its effectiveness
in relevance and interest from interested parties.
9. Build upon membership of Link to China and promote
Slough amongst Chinese businesses.
10. To support Heart of Slough and work closely with
Morgan Sindall and other Slough Regeneration
Partnership partners, ensuring economic prosperity
is maximised for all residents and local businesses.
16
Slough Business Directory
2014
