Sarah Windrum from HORIBA MIRA, who chairs the forum, said Labour has a “massive mandate for change” on issues including the NHS, with nursing recruitment and social care funding identified as major challenges.
Addressing the drop-off in overseas talent being recruited into temporary and seasonal roles was also discussed as a key issue affecting hospitality businesses in the region.
Ensuring the wellbeing and development needs of staff are met to support retention, and helping young people plot the best path for their careers were also put forward as obstacles facing local businesses.
The meeting was held at Saints Nuneaton, a social enterprise and café which is helping to alleviate poverty and support people into work through a number of initiatives.
Delegates also heard from Love to Ride, a free programme which works with businesses to encourage more people to cycle to work through cash prizes and rewards, as a way to boost wellbeing in workplaces across the county.
The Chamber hosts Local Business Forums across Coventry and Warwickshire to provide members with an opportunity to find out what is happening on a national policy level, while offering a platform to have a say on the issues affecting local businesses.
Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who joined us for their excellent insights, including the steps being taken to make Warwickshire a great place to live, work and grow a business.
“These meetings give us a chance to look at national trends in a local context, and also explore how we can help address the issues unique to local industry.
“We are always in constant communication with our members to find out the issues most important to them, and our Local Business Forums are a really useful platform to enable discussions across multiple industries and sectors.”
Pictured: Sarah Windrum (front, centre) with members at the Chamber’s North Warwickshire Local Business Forum
