It is always a pleasure to meet with and support our local businesses. They provide essential jobs and services throughout our communities, and it is vital we ensure Runnymede and Weybridge remains one of the best places in the country to live, work, and set up a business.
This week I had the pleasure to attend a Business Runnymede event in Egham with representatives from the Federation of Small Businesses and M3 Enterprise, our Local Enterprise Partnership. Both organisations have an array of advice and support available for local businesses. At the event I spoke of the fantastic local foundation we have for great businesses - our infrastructure, education skilled workforce, and the strength of our local communities. The last two years have been incredibly challenging, but as we recover we must grasp opportunities to build back stronger, improving engagement and adapting to the changing needs of customers, businesses and the workforce.
I am keen to seen more events such as this where we can bring businesses together with support organisations, including the Chambers of Commerce, local authorities and even our local schools, colleges and university, to create an even stronger business and support network across the constituency. I am particularly keen to ensure we build greater links between education and business, so that students have greater understanding and more access to the opportunities available to them, and our businesses have the skilled workforce they need for the future.
I hope to hold a schools and skills event with local business representatives later in the year, and encourage all local businesses to get involved. Ways businesses could support our schools range from making people available for career talks, hosting students on work placements or offering apprenticeship programmes. if you would be interested in supporting this initiative, please do contact me at [email protected].
