More
good investment news arrived in Chesterfield recently with the announcement that
a planning application has been submitted to turn the former Co-op department
store into a £20million hotel, restaurants and leisure development.
I
am delighted that the potential of Chesterfield has, once again, been
recognised by investors. It is large scale developments in the town centre such
as this, coupled with our thriving independent sector, which will help make us
a go to destination for shoppers and tourists.
November
has been designated the month where we hope to do exactly the same for the
town’s manufacturing sector with Made in Chesterfield. The festival has two aims; to attract manufacturing and engineering companies to
invest here and create jobs and to get more youngsters turned onto a
career in manufacturing
Last year, Made in Chesterfield only ran for a week however
it was credited with introducing more than 400 young people to careers within
the sector. Building on this success, this year the festival is running
throughout November.
Thanks to partnerships Destination Chesterfield has fostered with
schools, companies
within the sector, Derbyshire Education Business Partnership, Natwest, Chesterfield
College, Derbyshire County Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Placing Futures
and Positive 4 Young People, this year more young people than ever will
discover first-hand the employment
opportunities and the number of varied and exciting roles within manufacturing
and engineering.
If
your school, child or company would like to get involved with Made in Chesterfield,
you can view the programme of events here www.chesterfield.co.uk/made
Attracting
young people to the sector is essential if Sheffield City Region (SCR) is to achieve
its vision of developing a Modern Manufacturing
and Technology Growth Area. Chesterfield’s Enterprise Zone at Markham
Vale is already playing an important role in attracting investment to the area
and events like Made in Chesterfield are contributing
further in ensuring there is a ready
workforce to enable SCR to achieve this
vision.
We’re also taking a similar approach to the town’s
hospitality sector through the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Without a
ready workforce proposals for developments such as the Co-op would be a
non-starter.
Each year, however, Destination Chesterfield partners
with Chesterfield College to showcase the skills of the young people about to
enter the hospitality sector. Not only does the College sponsor the awards, it
provides the venue for the awards but, most importantly, its own students cater
and serve the entire event.
After the success of last year’s awards evening at the
College – all superbly catered and served by the students, it came as no surprise
that tickets for the 2015 awards sold out weeks before the event, prompting us
to increase numbers to the absolute maximum.
