Job opportunities from green agenda

STUDY: The green agenda could generate new job opportunities for North Yorkshire if the county can build enough homes to bring back young people, says a leading academic.

Prof Sally Shortall, one of the experts behind the North Yorkshire Rural Commission report, said communities were “ageing and declining”.

POLICY-MAKERS NEED to remove the barriers which are stopping “brilliant” firms in North Yorkshire from succeeding, according to a body representing small businesses.

Carolyn Frank, the development manager at the Federation of Small Businesses in North Yorkshire, has claimed prospects were “turning the corner” for firms which have survived the pandemic.

And she welcomed the report of the North Yorkshire Rural Commission, which said more support is needed for small and medium-sized businesses with mentoring, coaching and guidance.

Government funding should be targeted through the local knowledge of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, councils and established businesses, the report said.

Ms Frank said: “I think in terms of the green agenda we’ve got the natural capital here with all of the rural areas and the farming and so on here so we’re kind of on the edge of the next step here somehow to use those natural assets that we’ve got here.

“The problem with it is we need to kind of remove those barriers for the businesses to become successful so we can attract them here, but it’s the lack of infrastructure.

“Brilliant businesses need brilliant infrastructure and we just aren’t there yet with it.

“I think that’s what the report kind of points to with transport, affordable housing, really harnessing the potential of what we’ve got rather than those things not being lined up to help businesses thrive.”

She said areas like niche manufacturing were doing well in North Yorkshire and had lots of capacity.

She added: “Obviously with the staycation market, the really good quality accommodation and selfcatering accommodation are doing really well.

“Also professional services, the independent accountants, lawyers, legal services and obviously recruitment is hugely important at the moment with the amount of change in the job market.

“I think those firms are really doing well, and obviously we’re really in a good position as well to take hold of the green agenda from this area from North Yorkshire, because we have innovation in that field in agri-tech and things like that.”