Issue - meetings

This report presents the draft Kirklees Inclusive Economy Strategy (KIES) to the Health and Wellbeing Board for comment and input.

Contact: Edward Highfield Service Director Skills & Regeneration and Chris Duffill Head of Business & Skills.

Edward Highfield, Service Director, Skills and Regeneration, Chris Duffill Head of Business and Skills and Jonathan Nunn, Policy and Partnership Officer attended the meeting to present and receive comment on the Draft Kirklees Inclusive Economy Strategy.

In summary, the Board was informed that the Economic Strategy is one of the four top tier strategies in Kirklees and the current strategy expires in 2025, and therefore work is being undertaken to review and refresh the strategy.  A draft of the strategy is almost complete and is yet to go through the political process for endorsement. 

The Board was informed that this time around in developing the strategy, it has been deliberately called an inclusive economy strategy rather than a growth plan or growth strategy, reflecting the data and the inequality seen in Kirklees.  While economic growth is important it is not the only objective, and it is not growth at any cost because it has to be an inclusive type of growth that addresses inequality and closes gaps.

There are many global factors that significantly affects the economy in Kirklees, however, it is important to create an environment where businesses can succeed, in essence businesses create growth and employment.  The aim is to make Kirklees a good place to start and grow a business and to create conditions for inclusive growth and a growing economy is vital for achieving the Kirklees shared outcomes including, best start, achieving and aspiring and a sustainable economy.

The main structure of the strategy is people, business/partners and place, underpinned by cross-cutting themes and objectives around productivity, inclusion and sustainability.

Productivity is a challenge in Kirklees, because fundamentally productivity drives wages.  For example, if Kirklees was to match the UK average in terms of productivity, every adult in full-time employment in Kirklees would have £70 extra each week in their pocket.  Attracting more productive businesses and greater share of employment in higher value sectors is important because it drives wages.

Sustainability is around climate emergency, use of resources and future resilience to climate change and climate shock.

Inclusion, it has to be more inclusive, and analysis has been conducted over the bottom decile of the population and there are widening disparities and therefore there is a need to do something different.  While the economy is controlled by many factors outside of local control, there are resources and investment choices to be made, and making choices to tackle at least two or three of those things at the same time.  Going forward where there are limited resources, there is an action plan that will sit behind the strategy.

Referring to the presentation, the Board was shown information highlighting a ‘plan on a page’ which outlined the different sections that will be in the document as follows:

People – linked to the employment and skills strategy

-       Empowering Young People

-       Digital inclusion

-       Supporting communities to learn and progress

-       Skills for the future

Business / partners – growth and survival of indigenous businesses

-       Start/grow

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