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The council has secured an extra £5.8 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to provide a range of new business grant programmes, skills support to help people secure good local jobs and a scheme for local young people to help them take the first steps to employment.  

Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration and the High Street, Lee Carter (Labour) said: “We absolutely share the desire of our residents to see thriving local businesses, offering well paid, highly skilled jobs and to offer young people the best possible training opportunities. 

“Times are especially tough at the moment, so being able to provide extra help for around 600 businesses and support people into a new or better job is very welcome news; we’ll always do everything we can to support the borough’s success.

“The money we’ve secured will help to fund things like better advice for start-up businesses and grants to help businesses grow, including those who want to develop green technologies – all things that will be a real help to our local businesses and residents looking for work or training during a national cost of living crisis.”

Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Employment and Skills, Eileen Callear (Labour) said: “As a council on the side of our residents, we are thrilled to have secured this much needed extra funding. As well as supporting local businesses, we’ll also be investing in the work we do with local voluntary organisations to help people get and keep a good job – addressing issues of low self-esteem and confidence, poor or no qualifications or the need to upskill to keep up with the changing world around us, including the green agenda.”

Telford and Wrekin Council will now be working up plans to deliver the schemes put forward in the investment plan, with the first business grants becoming available in the New Year.