Centre joins South East Digital Skills Partnership

The Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, based at the University of Essex, has joined the South East Digital Skills Partnership.

The Partnership brings together regional businesses, large employers, charities and public sector organisations to tackle the digital skills challenges across the region. Supported by corporate partners and other government departments, the Partnership is working to build thriving and inclusive local economies and the Centre will be able to provide data analytics insight and support.

Jim Wilkinson, Digital Skills Partnership Co-ordinator at the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre to the South East Digital Skills Partnership Steering Group.

“Co-chaired by Professor Melissa Hanna-Brown (Pfizer UK) and Alison Parmar (Federation of Small Business), the local Steering Group is keen to ensure we continue to build the combined knowledge and expertise of the group in order to address digital skills challenges across Essex, Kent and East Sussex. The addition of the Centre provides a new and expert perspective on data analytics across the region.”

The Partnership is one of six to be allocated funding by the government to deliver a digital skills strategy developing new innovative models to improve digital skills across the region, boost local economies and share best practice with other local enterprise partnerships and combined authorities.

Dr Alejandro Quiroz Flores, Reader and Chief Scientific Adviser for Essex and Deputy Director of the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, said “We are proud to join the Partnership to expand the reach and enhance the impact of the digital skills strategy across the region.

“Digital skills are an important component of the national and local industrial strategies and will contribute to productivity for long-term economic growth. We believe data will play an integral part of this and look forward to supporting both employers and the future workforce in connecting with digital skills in a meaningful way.”

Being a member of the Digital Skills Partnership is just one of the ways in which the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre brings data to life to support organisations across the UK.