Economy, Jobs and Prosperity
The biggest issues in East Sussex are: low paid jobs; low skills and poor educational attainment; low job density; areas of high deprivation, too little affordable housing and poor transport; and inappropriate and insufficient business accommodation. Significant investment needs to be made to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, and to enable East Sussex’s economy to grow and prosper.
Our priority is to narrow the economic performance gap within and between communities in the county and between the county and the region, in order to develop a thriving, diverse and sustainable economy where everyone can prosper.
Our key tasks are to:
- Support local businesses to start up, diversify and grow.
- Attract new and sustainable business and investment into the county.
- Encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurial activity.
- Facilitate the development of more affordable, modern and environmentally friendly business accommodation and sites.
- Reduce barriers to employment and address worklessness.
- Promote further and higher education and learning opportunities.
- Invest in and promote skills development, especially in key sectors.
- Recognise and support the different economic needs and development potential of our urban, rural and coastal economies.
- Develop high-value and priority sectors such as engineering, ICT, environmental technologies, construction, care and retail.
- Reduce child poverty by 2011 and eradicate it by 2020.