ECONOMIC growth in Yorkshire created by Government development agency Yorkshire Forward is on target despite the credit crunch and financial downturn nationwide.
Figures released by Government today show that Yorkshire Forward has exceeded its annual targets for growing Yorkshire and Humber's economy The Regional Development Agency, whose job it is to invest over £357m in growing Yorkshire's economy, is asse
ssed by Government every year on its performance in key areas.
Meeting or exceeding its delivery targets since its inception in 1999, the development agency says it has maintained its record over the past 12 months, creating and safeguarding 25,456 jobs in the region – 13 per cent higher than its target and the highest figure recorded for any of the English regions.
Culminating in the launch of the new Business Link Yorkshire in April 2008, the past year saw Yorkshire Forward help to create 1,231 new businesses in the region and support 29,065 businesses in improving their performance, exceeding the target set of 23,575.
Yorkshire Forward says collaboration between businesses and the regions' Universities has enabled ground-breaking research and technology transfers, several science parks and business "incubators" in the region. The work continued with Yorkshire Forward helping 353 businesses to collaborate with universities and benefit from their knowledge base over the past 12 months.
New opportunities
Investment for regeneration developments across the region totalled £271.6m against a target of £210.5m and in working with partners across public and private sectors, Yorkshire Forward regenerated 88 hectares of brownfield land, beating targets by 8 per cent. An extra £60m over the next three years has been made available to provide new opportunities for people to gain the skills needed to enter the labour market, to remain in work, and to make progress at work.
Yorkshire Forward says in the past year it has helped 35,165 people improve their skills and assisted 11,217 people in Yorkshire and Humber to gain employment ,an improvement of 188 per cent on a target of 3,895.
Tom Riordan, chief executive of Yorkshire Forward, said: "The numbers however are just half the story – the real success is the way they are achieved and the impact we have on the ground – and this is testament to the hard work and expertise of our staff and local authority and business partners across the region.
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