Boost for training and green economy will benefit Lincolnshire say county council

Coun Davie said: “The government’s recovery plan focuses on the wider benefits to the economy that supporting people to find work, creating and protecting jobs, will offer.

“In Lincolnshire we have been implementing our own Business and Economy Recovery Plan which included specifically asking government for a programme to help young people into work.

“Today’s announcement of the Kickstart programme will directly meet that need, and although early indications are that Greater Lincolnshire’s unemployment rate has risen much less sharply than the national average, it is vital we support our young people, especially those that are not going to pursue a higher education route.

“New apprenticeship and training incentives will help Lincolnshire businesses ‘grow their own’ and attract talented young people from the county.

“With more than 90% of Lincolnshire businesses classed as small businesses, this has the potential to boost their growth and productivity in difficult times.

“VAT cuts for the hospitality sector and vouchers to boost spending in food outlets will undoubtedly help these sectors in getting staff back to work.

“We know these areas have seen some of the highest proportions of furloughed workers.

“If venues and customers follow the guidance and legislation to keep everyone safe, we can boost business as well as maintaining our low covid infection rates.

“We have been working hard to boost the green economy in the county in recent years.

“Business Lincolnshire is already supporting businesses to adopt low carbon solutions, and our construction industry is adapting its services with a much greater emphasis on low carbon products.

“Government grants announced today to encourage the take up of energy efficiency measures will offer opportunities for local business and we’ll be backing them all the way to take advantage of this.

“Funding for the public sector to ensure our buildings are energy efficient will support the council’s own commitment of making our activities carbon neutral by 2050.

“And all of the government’s carbon-reduction measures announced today will help with our developing ‘Green Master Plan’ with the ambition that the whole of Lincolnshire becomes carbon neutral in the same time frame.”