The Chesterfield Skills and Employment Partnership has marked its two-year milestone with the appointment of a new chair.
Diane Beresford, deputy CEO of East Midlands Chamber, has been appointed as the Skills and Employment Partnership chair, where she will lead and facilitate partnership initiatives contained within the Chesterfield Skills Action Plan (2023-27) to build the local economy and bridge the skills gap.
Diane Beresford said: “If there’s one thing employers say over and over again, they want to see, it’s skills – when they advertise a role, they want a candidate that can hit the ground running. Right now, that’s often not the case, with six out of ten businesses telling us in our Quarterly Economic Survey that they’ve struggled to recruit.
“I want to do everything I can to help bridge that gap. As a Chesterfield resident myself, getting people into work or further ahead in their career is something I’m very passionate about, so I’m looking forward to sharing my insight to help more Chesterfield people get where they want to be.”
Representatives from the business community, public sector and education providers have joined forces as part of the Chesterfield Skills and Employment Partnership, to create opportunities that allow Derbyshire residents to access new programmes that aim to build skills, employability and help the local economy to develop.
Since 2023 when the Chesterfield Skills and Employment Partnership was launched, hundreds of people have benefited from business support, recruitment events, upskilling, received support from the readiness to work programme and lots of new skills have been created through the skills hub.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and vice chair of the Skills and Employment Partnership, said: “Over the last two years, we have supported hundreds of local people with training and work-based opportunities that have only been made possible through the Chesterfield Skills and Employment Partnership.
“I am delighted that Diane Beresford has agreed to take on the role of Chair of the Chesterfield Skills and Employment Partnership. She is passionate about ensuring people and businesses have the support they need to achieve their ambitions. I am sure under Diane’s leadership the Partnership will go from strength to strength.”
