the Government should harness the legacy in manufacturing that is within many areas with Assisted Area status.


Creating sustainable growth Tere is a need for places lacking a strong private sector to diversify and build a solid footing in other industries, particularly in the post-recession environment. Targeted assistance and funding through GBI could help break into new markets and ensure that Assisted Areas are more resilient in the face of future economic shocks through developing and strengthen- ing a range of sectors. Such policy will trigger transformation from state dependency to self-sufficiency.


Developing a skilled workforce Both upgrading local skills and addressing the jobs gap must be addressed together. To be efficient and cost effective, training opportunities need to be tied into local job opportunities where possible. Simultaneously target- ing the jobs and skills gaps in Assisted Areas is crucial for their economic future, helping to attract further investment and helping such places become self-reliant.


Big Society Assisted Area policy will be important in helping the Government achieve its objectives of Big Society. Te Government states that it must help build up the Big Society, and support for Assisted Areas is exactly the help that such places need before they can create an activist civil society and enhance social capital – if the support is not available then the ability for communities to become the focus of Big Society activism is eroded as they are left to decline.


What might a future area based policy look like? Te key elements of a targeted area policy in the future could include:


• retention of GBI – retention of GBI will provide sustainable job creation in qualifying areas and open doors to new and emerg- ing markets through increased levels of business investment and expanding horizons in terms of demand;


• acknowledging the jobs gap and acting on it – ensure active engagement and support to help stimulate private sector job crea- tion. Tis would be through both grant aid to attract investment and providing a stimulus for organic growth and new starts;


• addressing skills issues to complement actions in tackling the jobs gap – this will ensure that we are not wasting existing


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