Enterprise and Skills
Mark Hughes
Executive Director, Economic
Development
The Enterprise and Skills directorate works to exploit the
growth potential of key business sectors, improve the
competitiveness and productivity of businesses and develop the
region’s knowledge base, all of which are fundamental to improving
global competitiveness and securing economic growth for the
Northwest.
The directorate is specifically responsible for:
- Developing a clear enterprise and innovation policy which fully
integrates a skills policy, ensuring that skills provision is
matched to employer needs and that skills gaps are identified and
addressed
- Growing key regional growth sectors, specifically biomedical,
energy and environmental technologies, advanced engineering and
materials, food and drink, digital and creative industries, and
financial and professional services
- Developing the new regional Business Link service to provide a
consistent, efficient and high-quality service focusing on the
needs of businesses
- Assisting the region’s companies and entrepreneurs to access
grants and growth capital and delivering a range of financial
products to both businesses and investors
- Supporting major scientific research projects and developing
university and business collaborations
- Working with major Northwest companies to ensure their
continued growth and securing new overseas investments into the
region.
More Information