Photo: Hospitality training (Hackney Community College)

The Economic Development Partnership brings partners together to ensure that the economic agenda is taken forward in a coherent way to maximise investment in the borough.

The key priority for the EDP in 2009 are the related employment and skills outcomes outlined in Hackney’s Sustainable Communities Strategy and the Local Area Agreement; with a particular focus on our changing and challenging economic climate.

The outcomes and targets for the LAA were agreed based on an analysis of Hackney’s economic landscape:

Overall Employment rate (working-age)* with a focus on support lone parents and those on Incapacity Benefit

Working age people claiming out of work benefits in the worst performing neighbourhoods

Proportion of population aged 19-64 for males and 19-59 for females qualified to at least Level 2 or higher

Proportion of children in poverty

Migrants English language skills and knowledge

The Chairs of the Economic Development Partnership is Councillor Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Ian Ashman the Principle of Hackney’s Community College.

This year, the partnership has carried out a evaluation on its commissioned projects aimed at piloting innovative ways of delivering services to workless people in Hackney (Team Hackney Worklessness); and will take this work to the next stage by aligning this learning to the approach Hackney has taken in engaging with residents on estates through the City Strategy Pathfinder; and the Skills for Employment  Strategy.

If you have any queries on the Economic Development Partnership, please contact Natalie Allen, Partnerships Advisor on: 020 8356 2167 or at natalie.allen@hackney.gov.uk