On the morning of Tuesday 3rd December, Exeter College hosted the Business and Trade Select Committee, made up of 11 MPs, who met with 30 local businesses. The event provided an opportunity for the College’s valued partners in the South West to discuss and feedback directly to the Committee, their challenges and opportunities in the current economic climate.  

This event formed part of the Business and Trade Select Committee’s series of six regional roadshows. This wider engagement exercise hopes to hear from businesses and workers, investors and consumers to help shape the Committee’s work plan for the months and years ahead. Exeter College Humanities students had the opportunity to listen in on these important discussions. 

Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the Business and Trade Committee, said; 

“This is the first of our national engagement events. The Business and Trade Committee is travelling the country listening to the voice of business and trade unions and consumer groups about what they would like us as a committee to focus on for the next five years. 
 
“I really wanted to start at Exeter College. I’ve known the college for many years, it’s always been famous for having outstanding networks of relationships with the business community. I knew that if we wanted to hear from as many businesses as possible, as fast as possible, Exeter College was the place to kick the tour off. 
 
“What we got today was exactly what I hoped for. We received a real diversity of views from business and very clear messages about how the cost of business has gone up and they have real ambition to plough through that. There were some clear asks of government such as investment in infrastructure, investment in skills, more available housing, and better access to finance.  

“For us, as a committee, we’ve got some clear marching orders from today that will help us shape our enquiries for the course of this Parliament.”   

Mike Blakeley, Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Partnerships said; 

“Liam engaged with Exeter College around 10 years ago and knew how exceptional we were as an organisation, and how well linked we were with business. When the gauntlet was thrown down to host the inaugural business select committee, it turned to Exeter to be able to bring this together.  

“We are delighted to pull together from our employer and stakeholder network to find some brilliant business voices to share their experiences with the Business Select Committee and hopefully make some positive change. Our businesses and stakeholders support the college brilliantly, so it was great to get them involved in this unique event.” 

Bindu Arjoon, Exeter City Council’s Chief Executive, was among those who attended the meeting.

Bindu said: “This was a great opportunity for business leaders in Exeter and across Devon to share their experiences and provide feedback directly to the Business and Trade Select Committee on the opportunities and challenges facing the region to help inform government’s thinking on business and investment, as well as feeding back on the impact of the autumn budget. 

“Exeter College plays a key role in working with businesses to ensure that as a city, we have the skilled workforce we need to continue to succeed and thrive in the future, so it provided the perfect setting for the committee to hear a wide range of views on how Government can best support the many great initiatives currently taking place in the region, particularly to boost skills, training, housing and infrastructure.”

The Committee wishes to hear views on the Government’s goals for the UK economy to have the fastest sustained economic growth in the G7; how it will deliver a pro-business, pro-worker’ agenda; develop closer trading relationships with others; and maintain the UK’s status as a global leader in protecting customers. The Committee will publish a report in the New Year listing who it has heard from and what the top priorities will be for its work.