Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk meets with the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk had his first meeting with the Solent local enterprise partnership this month.

Mr Prisk will meet with the partnership at the Royal Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth to hear about the main objectives and priorities it hopes to address. He will also discuss how the partnership will drive growth in the local economy.

The partnership covers the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest, Test Valley and Winchester.

During his visit to Portsmouth, Mr Prisk will also open the inaugural UK Naval Engineering Science & Technology (UK NEST) Careers Day at Portsmouth Naval Base. The event provides the opportunity for a broad range of University Careers Advisors to meet leading Naval Defence companies and to visit major Royal Naval projects including Type 45 Destroyers and the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier module build facility.

Mark Prisk said:

“Meeting with the Solent partnership will be extremely valuable in helping me to understand local challenges and how the partnerships’ vision will help to address them.

“The representatives I am meeting have exceptional local knowledge and we will discuss their ideas for the future and how they will put their action plans into practice.

“I am also delighted to open the UK Naval Engineering Science & Technology (UK NEST) Careers Day at Portsmouth Naval Base. The Naval Defence sector is an important part of our industrial base, employing more than 24,000 people and contributing over £3 billion of revenue to the economy.

“This Careers Day will hopefully result in more graduates undertaking a career in this thriving sector.”

Local enterprise partnerships bring together local business and civic leaders, working to support their local economy. They will operate within a geography that reflects natural economic areas and will provide the vision, knowledge and strategic leadership needed to drive sustainable private sector growth and job creation in their area.

For more information:

Contact: Solent LEP
Web:www.solentlep.org.uk