Council expands plans to boost economy

As building economic recovery continues in Antrim and Newtownabbey, the Council has unveiled more ambitious plans to support businesses, town centres and residents.
 
Creating jobs is a central focus, and Council has introduced a new policy to support direct investment by businesses coming to, or expanding within the Borough. This will attract new employers, and allow current businesses to grow their operations with a financial incentive. The support will be targeted towards strategically important sectors such as Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering, Transport & Logistics and Construction & Materials Handling.
 
COVID19 has accelerated a changing culture in how people work, with technology facilitating much more diverse and remote working patterns. The Council is also introducing a policy to support social and community enterprises to provide modern, accessible, fit for purpose workspaces. The policy will support regeneration of our town centres, by re-using vacant units and sites. This will attract people into our town centres to work as well as shop, visit and socialise.
 
The Council will support this by building skills and capacity of our local residents to take advantage of these economic opportunities. The Council is providing funding to seven groups to assist with this. Helping long-term unemployed people is the focus of Workforce Online - Path to Employment; Network Personnel - Job Match; and Enterprise NI – Exploring Enterprise schemes. Now Group – Verve Project; and USEL – Stride Project are designed to support those with a disability towards employment. GEMS NI Limited - Co-Ment Project and The Prince’s Trust do important work in developing young people, and NEETs.
  
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Jim Montgomery said,

“These measures and funding will help boost our local economy, attracting jobs, meeting changing working trends, and building capacity for vulnerable groups. The Council is keen to work in partnership with the community and private sectors to shape creative ideas on how our town centres will look in the decades ahead. I’m proud that the Council is leading the effort to build back prosperity, and adapt to longer term change.”