Buckinghamshire is officially the Entrepreneurial Heart of Britain, with High Wycombe’s businesses and workforce playing a vital role in the county’s achievements writes Louise Butt.
Our business community is making waves in key sectors like creative, digital, health and social care, construction and engineering. Whilst the furniture industry is what Wycombe might be most famous for historically, the town hosts fantastic companies who fly the town’s swan emblem flag far and wide.
These include: Origin Global, crowned Buckinghamshire’s Company of the Year in 2022; Monodraught, another former Company of the Year; W Durston Ltd and Cableflow International, both recent King’s Award for Enterprise winners; Queen’s Award winners like JUNE Medical; and leading manufacturer Bradbury Tracks.
A successful business community doesn’t happen by chance, there is masses of support. High Wycombe has a business leaders’ network, willing to support and give back to the business community, while everywhere from local libraries to the British Business Bank can also help. As the Growth Hub for the county, Buckinghamshire Business First has developed a unique support system to help Wycombe people find the resources and advice required to start, run and grow a business. Visit www.bbf.uk.com.
This also creates employment opportunity, with multiple routes into work and training for anyone interested. Students can gain work experience; someone of any age can start an apprenticeship; supported internships help people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Events like the Bucks Skills Show and Confident Futures Skills Show showcase career opportunities you may never have imagined.
Bucks Skills Hub organises these events and also manages a network of Enterprise Advisers, people from local businesses that work with schools to ensure careers education reflects the real world of work. Every school in High Wycombe has an Enterprise Adviser, ensuring no one misses out.
This is important for employers too. Work carried out by Buckinghamshire Business First and Bucks Skills Hub has identified local skills gaps in even the most successful industries. However, proactive measures and solutions are being implemented to ensure current and future needs of businesses are matched by the talents of individuals, and that local training provision meets the needs of both.
