New businesses back the Northern Powerhouse

Santander, Ernst & Young and Eversheds LLP are among the latest wave of organisations to have pledged their commitment to create jobs, attract investment and support innovation in the north.

It means almost 90 leading organisations have now pledged to be Northern Powerhouse Partners – a key part of the government’s ambitious plan to turbocharge the north’s economy.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Andrew Percy and Commercial Secretary Baroness Neville-Rolfe today brought the 88 new and existing Northern Powerhouse Partners together in Manchester, to discuss opportunities and ideas to champion the region.

It comes after Northern Powerhouse Partner Vodafone announced it plans to create around 800 jobs in Manchester and 600 new jobs in Newcastle over the next 2 years.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Andrew Percy said:

From Siemens to Vodafone, the investment being made by major businesses is further proof that the Northern Powerhouse economy is firing on all cylinders.

We’re determined to support this region so that it reaches its full potential.

Now we’ve got the backing of almost 90 different organisations, which is absolutely vital to securing the economic future of the north for years to come.

Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

It is clear to me that a key ingredient to productivity and growth – and indeed happiness in the work place – is a greater emphasis on skills. We made a big announcement in the Budget of a root and branch reform of our technical education. This will take time, but T-levels, as well as maintenance loans for students in higher level technical education, will bring real benefits to the North, where there is already such a strong tradition of industrial and technical skills. This will combine with our efforts to give many more people the chance to do quality apprenticeships from April this year.

The national nuclear college in Cumbria which will help train employees for Hinkley and Sellafield is a pioneering example of this Northern tradition of technical excellence.

And over a third of apprenticeship starts in 2016 were in the North.

On top of that, we have a dedicated Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy across the whole of the North. And from next year, our new Mayors will have control over adult education budgets.

Rob Mukherjee, Director of Regional Business, North West, at Vodafone UK said:

Vodafone is pleased to be hosting the first Spring Summit for Northern Powerhouse Partners and have the opportunity to work alongside other organisations committed to helping the region go from strength to strength.

There’s never been a more important time for industry, government and communities to work together. The Partner Network is providing an excellent forum for us to hear from and engage with communities and enterprises on further opportunities to support growth, innovation and skills development across the region.

Businesses backing the Northern Powerhouse

Building a Northern Powerhouse is a key part of this government’s plan for Britain, to create a strong economy that works for everyone.

That includes £3.4 billion in Local Growth Deals to boost economic growth across the region, and a dedicated Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund offering £400 million to support small businesses to reach their full potential.

On top of this, devolution deals are also putting power in the hands of local people. On 4 May, residents across Greater Manchester will also have the chance to vote for a new Combined Authority Mayor. The new Mayor will have control of almost £1 billion new funding over 30 years to grow the local economy.

The 8 new Northern Powerhouse Partners will join existing champions including Barclays, Siemens and Vodafone in Manchester to discuss how the Northern Powerhouse strategy can help even further.

Part of this will include using the new Northern Powerhouse Partners Network. This network helps encourage businesses to focus on their key strengths and areas for development across the north – from connectivity and culture to skills and science.

The 8 new Northern Powerhouse Partners are:

• Eversheds LLP
• Colliers International
• Santander
• Hyper Island
• Newcastle Gateshead Initiative
• Hull City of Culture
• Northern Powerhouse Partnership
• Ernst & Young

These companies join the list of existing partners including Manchester Airport Group, Peel Ports, Barclays, Vodafone, the Peel Group, Atkins Global, North Wales Business Council, Northern Power Women and PD Ports bringing the total number of partners up to 88.