Policy Statements and Initiatives

DfE: Thousands of pupils in England are set to benefit from high-quality academic study combined with practical learning as more Studio Schools and University Technical Colleges (UTCs) open this September.
 
The 11 new Studio Schools and 3 UTCs have the backing of business & industry, and offer young people an education that equips them with the skills employers want:
* Studio Schools offer academic & vocational qualifications, but teach them in a practical way.  Study is combined with work placements – which are often paid placements – with local & national employers who are involved in the school.  
 
* UTCs are sponsored by a local university & employers, and they focus on providing technical education that meets the needs of modern business.  Each has 1 or 2 ‘specialisms’ – ranging from engineering, to manufacturing, to construction or bio-medical sciences.
Press release & links
 
Defra: More than 200 jobs are expected to be created and 450 businesses supported in Wiltshire’s military towns following a £1.9m Government investment in the region’s rural economy, Defra Minister Richard Benyon announced on his Rural Roadshow to the region last week.
 
Wiltshire is 1 of 5 regions selected for a Rural Growth Network grant to help rural areas overcome the barriers to economic growth, such as shortage of business opportunities and poor broadband access.
Press release & links ~ Rural Growth Network grant
 
DefraRural England has new power to hold the Government to account on its promise to grow the rural economy & support thriving rural communities, with the unveiling of the first ‘rural contract’

The Rural Statement gives people in rural areas an expectation of the changes they should see both at work and in their communities, as the Government delivers its vision for rural England. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to tackling red tape and freeing rural businesses & farms from the unnecessary Government control that has got in the way of rural economic growth in the past.
Press release & links ~ LGA comment
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