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<p> </p><p><sub>We recognise the importance of manufacturing and engineering skills
to the economy : these will be vital to building the Solent area's strengths in marine
and maritime. BIS is working closely with industry, Job Centre Plus, and Portsmouth
Council to support those employees impacted by BAE's decision to close its shipyard
in Portsmouth, including providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities.</sub></p><p>
</p><p><sub>In the Southampton & Portsmouth City Deal, we announced a £1 million
DWP Rapid Response Service that will support those recently made redundant and that
Government and local industry will invest £3m in a Marine and Maritime Employer Ownership
for skills Programme, responding to the immediate skills needs in small and medium
sized enterprises in the advance manufacturing sector. Alongside the City Deal, £5m
from the ‘Solent Future' Regional Growth Fund programme is available to support the
up-skilling and re-skilling of BAE staff facing redundancy.</sub></p><p> </p><p><sub>The
Skills Funding Agency is also working with colleges and training providers in the
Solent area to ensure that support is available to any employees at risk of redundancy
to update/reskill - supported by £2.5m of Skills Support for Redundancy European Social
Fund money. </sub><sub>Additionally the existing UK wide Talent Retention Solution
is available to help match skilled workers to engineering jobs in the local area (currently
advertising 692</sub><sub>vacancies in the south of England on its website</sub>[1]<sub>)
and the</sub><sub> National Careers Service is available to offer free impartial careers
advice to those impacted on updating skills or retraining for alternative employment.</sub></p><p>
</p><p><sub> </sub></p><p> </p><p><sub>The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and
Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership are involved in detailed negotiations with
Government for Growth Deals that will see powers and funding devolved from Whitehall
to local partners to drive growth in their area – which covers Hampshire. Solent and
EM3 have both put forward proposals to grow the skills – particularly STEM and engineering
skills – in their areas. We expect to make announcements on Growth Deals shortly.</sub></p><p>
</p><p><sub> </sub></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] Active TRS vacancies listed
on 11 June 2014.</p><p> </p>
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