What we do
Skills for industry
OVERVIEW
Priority One’s Primary Strategic Actions
- Identify the specific skills needs of our key sectors.
- Build a web-based platform to attract highly skilled Kiwi ex-pats to the region.
- Build on the success the INSTEP programme has provided to businesses and education providers, and its contribution to the retention of our young people.
OVERVIEW
"The key factor of the global economy is no longer goods, services, or flows of capital, but the competition for people. The ability to attract people is a dynamic and sensitive process. Companies have always sought to attract the best talent: the difference today is that instead of bringing that talent to their existing locations, companies are setting up facilities where the talent already exists. Talent is the biggest magnet for globalised innovation".
Richard Florida
Professor of Regional Economic Development
Carnegie Mellon University
Priority One’s core role is to create and enhance the Western Bay’s competitive advantages, so that we retain and attract highly productive businesses. Fundamental to that is our ability to retain and attract highly talented, skilled and creative people, and it is in this context that Priority One’s lead initiatives are developed and delivered.
We operate in a competitive world, and our advantages must outweigh the offerings of other regions both nationally and internationally. Clearly, we do have some advantages here, particularly related to lifestyle. However our ability to attract and, importantly, retain talented people goes beyond a reliance on attractive beaches.
Research highlights that the new formula for strong, healthy local economies combines not only a pleasant built and natural environment, but also a rich and vibrant cultural life, genuine community engagement in managing change and a commitment to a sustainable future. If we are serious about retaining our young people and attracting skills to the sub-region, we ignore any one of these aspects at our peril.
