Lesley Bassett

Growth Strategy Programme Manager

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Skills Now Skills For The Future

Mersey Dee Alliance

Cross-border economic partnership: unique in UK in representing functioning cross-border economic area

9 members

Extensive networks

Complex political and partnership environment

Skills Now Skills For The Future

Cross Border Economy

Nationally significant functional economic area - £17+bn GVA (£19.1bn including Conwy)

Central to wider M56/A55 Manchester Airport - Bangor Innovation Corridor - £31bn GVA

Largely self contained labour market with significant daily cross-border commuting

40-50,000 potential job creation over 15-20 years

Skills Now Skills For The Future

Realising the Potential Investment in transport infrastructure and cross-border

transport services

Meeting the current and future skills needs of major employers and of SMEs in key sectors including higher level skills

Extending local supply chains of major businesses and supporting workforce planning

Raising awareness of the region’s economic potentialSkills Now Skills For The Future

Commuting Patterns

Skills Now Skills For The Future

Labour Market and Skills 81% of the resident working population of 457,000 are employed

in the area; significant cross-border commuting to work

Manufacturing employment is more than double the UK average

Private sector investment critical in driving future job creation – need to understand and respond to employers’ needs on a cross-border basis

Skills strategies which focus on specific geographies on either side of the border will limit the region’s growth potential

Skills Now Skills For The Future

Labour Market and SkillsOpportunities for Cross Border Collaborations Complete cross-border skills and training needs analysis of

employers’ core needs to sustain existing employers and grow the advanced engineering sector

Seek to align or secure flexibility in currently differential FE policies to benefit the region as a whole

Seek to pool public finance (European, UK and Welsh Government, local authority) and use it to leverage additional private sector funding

Good initial progress Skills Now Skills For The Future