Action for Wiltshire

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What is Action For Wiltshire?

The Action for Wiltshire (A4W) programme, established early in 2009, has dealt with the impact on business and communities moving into recession. The programme’s first phase targeted re-skilling; long term unemployment; loans to business; personal debt and help and advice for those experiencing difficulty.

What we want to achieve

• broaden the employment base so that Wiltshire is less dependent on public sector employment and a low wage economy;
• make jobs more local so that we can lower our carbon footprint;
• tackle barriers to employment growth and make Wiltshire a location of choice for businesses;
• improve the skills and employability of Wiltshire based workers and those who are unemployed;
• reduce and minimise the regulatory burden on business;
• maximise volunteering;
• create an Employee Assistance Programme for those facing redundancy;
• develop stronger links between businesses and communities; and
• support the vulnerable and offer advice to individuals in crisis.

What has happened so far?

Information about our key achievements on the Action for Wiltshire programme can be found in our newsletters.and video.

What next?

The Action for Wiltshire programme has been extended to deal with continuing issues such as re-skilling, business loans, personal debt, long term unemployment and help and advice for those experiencing difficulty. Phase 2 also takes into account the impact of the cuts in public sector spend on the Wiltshire economy which has already been weakened by the recession. A programme of work for Phase 2 has been launched based on the following:

• a ‘Help and Advice’ programme to assist individuals with tackling the difficulties caused for them by the recession and the impacts of the public sector cuts;
• an ‘Employment Support Programme’ aimed at addressing the hardening of unemployment, re-skilling a new workforce for Wiltshire and maximising opportunities for self employment and establishing a new business support model;
• a ‘New Business Development Programme’ aimed at maximising opportunities for self employment and establishing a new business support model, stimulating the appropriate development of social enterprises, co-operatives and employee-led businesses and maximising business to business opportunities; and
• a ‘Business Location of Choice Programme’ aimed at securing business investment in Wiltshire and tackling barriers to growth.

The Action For Wiltshire Programme 316kb

Press Releases

• Business success thanks to loan initiative
• A 'New Workforce for Wiltshire'
• Wiltshire New Business Competition 2010/2011
• £4m grant for superfast broadband
• Wiltshire Council joins forces with Job Centre Plus to tackle county unemployment
• Small business loan success
• Small business loans
• Future jobs fund
• Action for Wiltshire phase 1 initiatives
• Action for Wiltshire origins

Newsletters

• August 2011 74kb
• April 2011 83kb
• March / April 2010 91kb
• January/ February 2010 103kb
• October/November 2009 208kb
• September 2009 96kb
• August 2009 126kb
• July 2009 123kb

Agendas and meeting notes

• Agenda - 10 January 2012 100kb
• Meeting notes - 5 October 2011 149kb
• Agenda - 5 October 2011 45kb
• Meeting Notes - 25 May 2011 79kb
• Agenda - 25 May 2011 42kb
• Meeting Notes - 11 February 2011 47kb

Related links

• Wiltshire Council - Action for Wiltshire
• Wiltshire Assembly
• Wiltshire Association of Chambers of Commerce (WACC)
• Resilient Communities Partnership
• The Wiltshire Strategic Economic Partnership (WSEP)
• Community First
• Jobcentre Plus
• Business Link
• Wiltshire College
• Fredericks Foundation
• GWE Business West
• Wiltshire Citizens Advice (CAB)
• Grow - Enhancing Community Support
• Invest in Wiltshire
• Apprenticeships

Last updated: 30 January 2012