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As part of the Enterprise Britain Series, eGov monitor speaks with Nick Cragg who articulates out the Rotherham Enterprise Strategy is committed to developing tomorrow's leaders to ensure a sustainable community.

Q1 What have been the principal achievments of the Rotherham Enterprise Strategy?

The principal achievements of the Rotherham Enterprise Strategy have been to:
 
Engage young people in an inspiring and relevant way with the world of work and in entrepreneurship through u-xplore
 
Engage business with education in a structured and managed way that is led by the business community through Young Chamber
 
Engage private sector businesses and public sector partners in a quality partnership through Investors in Education

Q2 There has been strong collaboration between the local authority and business people in Rotherham. What impact has this had and how was such a close partnership realised?

The impact of the shift has been significant in terms of investment and jobs but also in terms of the cultural change and the confidence of the business community in itself and of the local authority in the business community. Essentially a move from everyone works for the state (British Steel/NCB (Nationalised Industries plus the public services) to more and more people wanting to work for themselves and creating their own futures. The partnership was realised slowly over time by small wins and small concessions to greater trust and bigger challenges.

Q3 Could you tells about the inclusive nature of your enterprise strategy and what impact that has had?

The Rotherham enterprise strategy is from 4 years of age upwards. It is part of a process by which the business leaders of today inspire the leaders of tomorrow and the business leaders of tomorrow will increasingly be young, female, and ethnic.

Q4 What are the major factors for communities to consider when attempting to attract inward investment?

Inward investment decisions are driven by the demands of the business for skilled people who are enterprising and entrepreneurial and by business leaders and their personal demands for achieving schools for their children, good sports and leisure facilities, and great shopping for all the family and a wonderful place to live.

Q5 What lessons do you think Rotherham has for communities with economic regeneration issues to address?

The ambition of business leaders and the understanding that successful businesses are the foundation of any successful community:

• A Community strategy agreed by all that builds on the strengths and assets of the community and builds partnerships with the private sector and joins up the public sector
• A strategy that focuses on enterprise and people

A case study on Rotherham Achieving Partnership is available here: node/7373