As the nation heads off on its summer holidays, an eerie calm has descended over British politics. With the Brexit issue parked for a few weeks, now’s a good time to take stock of our situation here in Cheltenham.
On jobs, the figures are encouraging. The total number of unemployed claimants in Cheltenham in June 2016 was just 748. This represents a rate of 1.4% of the economically active population aged 16 to 64. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 2.4%. Positively too, there were 150 claimants aged 18-24 in Cheltenham constituency in June 2016, 35 fewer than a year before.
But it would be an enormous mistake to become complacent. In an uncertain world, economic headwinds could be round the corner. It’s more important than ever to forge an economic plan for Cheltenham, to generate jobs and opportunity whatever the economic weather.
It’s one of the reasons why I have been such a passionate advocate over recent years for a cyber vision for Cheltenham. I want to see the creation of a digital ecosystem here in town with the finest minds moving in and out of places like GCHQ whilst supporting local start-ups. It will bring exciting opportunities for our young people. Great progress is already being made; watch out for exciting developments later this year.
A focus on this ‘opportunity agenda’ was also why I teamed up this week with Cheltenham’s excellent Job Centre Plus to organise and launch Cheltenham’s first ever Service Provider Showcase. Our aim was to bring together under one roof the myriad organisations that exist here in town, providing services ranging from debt advice to training courses. The collaborative event helped providers and service users gain a better overview of the remarkable depth and breadth of what is on offer locally.
That is important because we know that there are those in our community who face barriers, often not of their own making, which can sap confidence and curtail the opportunity to enjoy the dignity and security of work. We need to do everything we can to remove those barriers.
Finally, if you’re off on a bucket and spade holiday, do have a great time. Just leave the gulls at the seaside please…