Conference to support Solent businesses facing skills shortages

Businesses from across the Solent region, who are struggling with the challenges around skills shortages, have been invited to attend the Solent People and Skills Conference at the Fareham Innovation Centre on 7 July.

Hosted by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the free event is open to all businesses from all sectors. It will bring business leaders from the region together to discuss the challenges they currently face, and help to shape future business support and provision.

The Solent People and Skills Conference will see guest speakers from the Solent LEP, Make UK, The Chamber of Commerce, and NetZero Training (Highbury College) talk about the support and provisions already available for local businesses.

Rachael Randall, Chair of the Solent LEP, said: “We have a packed conference planned with great speakers sharing their experiences and providing valuable insight into skills and training. During the presentations, we will be asking local businesses to tell us how we can help and where the skills gaps are. We want to make this a meaningful discussion, and to make a considered difference to the future provisions that we provide to businesses right across the Solent region.”

The event features panel discussions with professionals from marine, tourism, and creative industries, health and social care, and construction; all of whom will discuss the challenges their sectors face, and how they are overcoming them.

Speakers include:

• Helen Ives - Executive Director of Workforce, Solent NHS Trust;
• Glenn Turnball, Operations Capability Manager at BAE Systems;
• James Gayle, founder of Shogun Social;
• Anita Bower, People and Culture Director, Iconic Luxury Hotels.

Attendees will also hear from a degree-level apprentice about why they chose that career path. There will be opportunities to speak to representatives from Get Set Solent, Manufacturing Programme, ALPHI, Maritime UK Solent, SkillsLab, Solent Apprenticeship and Skills Hub, FEDCAP, SERCO, MakeUK and the Solent LEP's Careers Hub.

7 July marks National Manufacturing Day, and there are opportunities for attendees to visit some of the manufacturing businesses based on Daedalus: The Solent Enterprise Zone, as they open their doors to showcase job roles available within the manufacturing sector.

Click here to register your place for this event.