Charnwood Together will provide a co-ordination role for the organisations and agencies with interests in furthering competitiveness, growth and learning in Charnwood, a single focal point for which does not exist currently. Charnwood has great potential to contribute to the economic future of the region and benefit people who live and work in the Borough.

As a Borough we already know that over the next 10 years our population will be growing and many of those will need employment. The Borough can contribute to the aspirations for the region and sub–region to have a stronger, more vibrant and growing economy. However, that growth must be matched by the following quality considerations:

• Quality jobs - by creating new employment opportunities across the skills base - for instance, by working to maintain a good mix of employment opportunities while giving priority to increasing our knowledge based business (e.g. hi-tech manufacturing, knowledge based services, creative and sporting industries etc) rather than actively attracting low skill based investment (e.g. distribution).
• Quality people - by bridging skills gaps and developing people’s capacity for quality jobs and purposeful activity - for instance, by seeking to tackle deficits in basic numeracy and literacy skills, by improving links between business and training providers to address specific skills gaps, by targeting areas and groups of higher than average unemployment, by retaining more graduates and encouraging ‘hard to reach’ communities to participate more fully. This includes supporting Life Long Learning principles and the value of volunteering, as well as developing general life skills.
• Quality environment - by applying sustainable development principles to minimise adverse impacts - for instance by working through planning policies to secure sites for employment in appropriate locations, encouraging developers to adopt highstandards of design in conversions and new build, including environmental and crime prevention best practice, by seeking to attract businesses that take environmental steward ship responsibilities seriously. Application of sustainable development principles should also achieve improvements in public and personal health and reductions in health inequalities. Developing relationships with exemplar agencies, such as the National Forest Company.
• Quality employers - by actively attracting new investment that builds on our strengths and potential - for instance by encouraging and supporting new business startups and inward investment and retention of those locally as they expand, by supporting exchange of best practice between business and educational institutions, by supporting existing manufacturers and other businesses to innovate, modernise and invest in their workforces. This will include rural and other volunteer social enterprises, for instance arising from Parish Plans, for which there may be grant support.

Quality in Partnerships - by working with local and regional Partners and developing our business networks. Based on our current economic position and applying the underlying principle in the Charnwood Economic Development Strategy of “Growth through Quality”, over the next 10 years priority will be given to:

• Business innovation and advanced technology
• Business creation and survival.
• Education, research and knowledge based industries.
• Creative/cultural industry – for example sports and creative arts clusters linked to Loughborough University
• Vibrant town and village centres across the Borough, with Loughborough as a retail/commercial centre of sub-regional significance. Building on the achievements of projects such as the Shepshed Partnership, the development of a regeneration plan for Syston and other related initiatives arising from Parish Plans.