Small and medium-sized businesses have been hit particularly hard by the economic crisis that has ensued in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak. Over the last few months, local, regional and national governments across the UK have been working hand-in-hand to prevent as much damage as possible and to provide support that can prove lifesaving for many of the struggling enterprises.
Such cooperation between governing bodies has been essential, but it has been local authorities that have implemented the policies responsible for helping people on the ground. Such is also the case in Birmingham, where the City Council has fought tooth and nail to secure as much funding as possible in order to protect its constituents and their livelihoods.
Lifesaving funding with far-reaching consequences
Earlier last week, Birmingham City Council announced that it had successfully secured a whopping £12 million for its latest scheme meant to help local businesses stay afloat in the aftermath of COVID-19 and remain competitive in the long-term.
The Supplier Skill Programme has the goal of helping SMEs bolster their competitiveness and ultimately offer a superior quality of services. It provides businesses with essential tools that will help them enhance their performance and productivity by transforming their management expertise and workforce capability and capacity.
Furthermore, the Programme will provide businesses with training vouchers worth up to £500 per person, to a maximum of £18,000 per SME that will serve to upskill over 7000 workers across the city.
Upon announcing the new scheme, Leader of the Council, Councillor Ian Ward, stated that “This is a challenging time for Birmingham businesses and we’re doing everything we can to protect jobs and livelihoods across the city. This programme is key to improving business confidence, raising skills levels and helping small businesses recover from the impact of the pandemic.
It will allow businesses to develop a ladder of progression for existing employees by increasing their skill levels and creating new opportunities for other employees.”
He continued further, explaining that the Programme is essential for the time being, as it will allow authorities to quickly provide much-needed support to struggling SMEs. Meanwhile the City Council is also devising a long-term plan for the tackling of the economic aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: TheMayor.EU
