Councils launch major plan to boost jobs, skills and economic growth across the Marches
Shropshire Council has joined forces with Herefordshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council to launch the Get Marches Working Plan, a bold and collaborative initiative designed to help more people across the Marches access good jobs, training, and opportunities.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) initiated this plan to meet the changing needs of our workforce and communities.
Regional partners including the Integrated Care Board (ICB), Jobcentre Plus (JCP), voluntary and community sector organisations (VCSE), local employers and further and higher education providers (FE and HE) collaborated to shape a shared understanding of the challenges and define the actions needed to tackle them.
Driving change across the Marches
The Marches, covering the three local authority areas, is a largely rural area with shared employment challenges. Joint working allows the three authorities to reduce duplication, pool expertise and improve value for money. This coordinated plan strengthens access to skills and jobs, ensuring rural communities benefit fully from new opportunities.
The Marches faces rising economic inactivity and skills gaps in key sectors. The Get Marches Working Plan sets out a clear vision: to create an inclusive, dynamic labour market that helps people into sustainable employment and enables businesses to access the skilled workforce they need to grow, innovate, and compete.
The plan aligns employer-led initiatives with training provision, strengthens links between schools and businesses and embeds employability support within community services to unlock new pathways into work.
Local action, shared ambition
Each local authority, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Telford & Wrekin, will now deliver its own action plan tailored to the needs of its residents and businesses. These plans prioritise support for groups facing barriers to employment, including disadvantaged young people, disabled adults, people with health conditions and those with caring responsibilities.
Formal governance arrangements will oversee delivery, and regular reviews will ensure the plan delivers meaningful improvements for people and employers across the Marches. This collaborative approach enables the region to respond quickly and flexibly to changing labour market conditions, keeping communities resilient in the face of economic challenges.
Councillor Heather Kidd, Leader of Shropshire Council, which serves as the accountable body for the initiative, said,
“This is about creating real opportunities for people across the Marches. This plan aims to build a stronger, fairer economy that benefits everyone, from young people starting their careers to businesses looking for skilled staff.”
Rob Wilson, Cabinet Member for transport and economic growth at Shropshire Council, said:
“This initiative has truly been a team effort. Thanks to significant contributions from every partner, we’ve identified our main challenges and are eager to collaborate on solutions that will strengthen Shropshire’s economy along with that of the broader region.”
Employers, training providers, and community organisations are invited to get involved and help shape the plan’s delivery to make the Marches a place where everyone has the chance to succeed.
For more information please contact : Amy Farley, External Funding Technical Officer – People and Skills at amy.farley@shropshire.gov.uk
To view the Get Marches Working Plan please visit: Get Marches Working | Shropshire Council
Further information
The Get Marches Working Plan is the Marches region’s response to, and implementation of, the Get Britain Working White Paper published in 2024. It translates the national aims and requirements into a local strategy and action plan.
Get Britain Working is a UK Government initiative to boost employment and tackle economic inactivity, aiming for an 80% employment rate, one of the highest globally.
The strategy focuses on three pillars: creating more good jobs through local growth plans, improving job quality and security, and major reforms to employment support that integrate skills and health.
For more information, visit: Get Britain Working White Paper – GOV.UK.
Connect to Work is also part of the government’s Get Britain Working initiative : a work programme in England and Wales to help disabled people, those with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment, to find sustainable work. See Connect to Work – GOV.UK and for Connect to Work in Shropshire: Connect to Work – Invest in Shropshire
