BUSINESS leaders from across Tayside and Fife have joined forces to help advise and direct the area’s cities deal bid.
The Tay Cities Enterprise Executive (TCEE) will harness the expertise of the private sector to help successfully deliver the Tay Cities Deal which aims to create thousands of new jobs in the next decade.
Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce are delighted to support this initiative, and the wider Enterprise Forum which ensures the voice of the private sector is connected to regional economic strategy.
Chaired by DC Thomson Media executive chairman Ellis Watson, the executive and a wider forum also chaired by Mr Watson, bring a wealth and breadth of industry experience to the £1.8 billion bid.
He said: “The memberships of the executive and forum reflect the quality of expertise that our region has to offer.
“I’ve purposely sought out dynamic, connected and opinionated people who have a common passion for handing our region to the next generation in better shape than we received it.
“The forum, consisting of around 40 members, spans industries as diverse as brewing, training and video gaming, bringing specialist expertise and their own networks to support this critically important endeavour.
“An executive team of 12 will direct this wider resource and work alongside the Tay Cities team and council leaders to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The Tay Cities Deal is a partnership between local, Scottish and UK governments and the private, academic and voluntary sectors which seeks to create a smarter and fairer Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth & Kinross.
In total, the 56 projects submitted require an investment of £1.84 billion of which £826 million (45%) over 10 years is being sought from the Scottish and UK governments and their agencies.
One of the business leaders' key tasks will be to provide counsel to the 56 projects which have been put forward as part of the bid. These projects have the potential to deliver as many as 15,000 job opportunities across the region.
The forum will meet quarterly as the bid progresses, and members will be asked to provide insight and feedback on delivery, as well as input into projects.
The Executive met for the first time today (Monday October 9), while the Forum will hold its first session early in the new year.
Mr Watson added: “It was encouraging to hear the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, speak of his enthusiasm for the Tay Cities Deal during a recent visit to Dundee.
“However, we are all aware that tapping into every source of expertise is crucial if we are to make this happen and deliver the sustainable change for people living and working in the area that the Tay Cities Deal promises.”
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
DC Thomson & Co Ltd is a private company and is one of the leading media organisations in the United Kingdom. The company publishes newspapers, magazines, comics and books. More recently, DC Thomson has expanded into the internet and digital developments including a major focus on genealogy.
