Liverpool Jobs – Collaborative project aims to create 1,600 new jobs

Liverpool has succeeded in obtaining £10 million of funding to support more than 3,000 businesses across Liverpool and Merseyside.  The Merseyside Business Support Programme is expected to create 1,000 jobs in Liverpool and almost 1,600 in total over the next two years as well as protect around 1,100 existing jobs.

The European Regional Development Fund will provide half of the funding while local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors will provide the rest.  The five Merseyside local authorities have combined their efforts and linked with voluntary and community organisations to create a project that will aim to help businesses create jobs and support people from disadvantaged regions to find work.

The funding will be targeted at the port, low carbon, knowledge and tourism industries.

A report on the project, which was discussed last week at a meeting of Liverpool City Council, stated that the new partnership would provide a targeted approach to creating jobs and improving disadvantaged areas.  It added that the European funding would help systems be put in place to encourage businesses to employ people from disadvantaged areas and to help those people develop the skills to be more employable and job ready.