About us
North Somerset Council is committed to driving economic growth for it’s businesses and residents.
The Economy Team supports businesses to thrive and residents to increase economic resilience; we do this by:
- Encouraging and enabling Inward Investment
- Helping businesses find support to grow
- Act as a guide into the wider Council services
- Foster peer support and business networks
- Facilitating access to funding, grants and training for business development
- Collaborating with local organisations to create job opportunities for residents
- Designing and delivering employment support programmes
- Manage North Somerset Film Office
Community learning offers free or low-cost courses for North Somerset residents aged 19 or over who have few or no formal qualifications.
For more information please visit their webpage, or you can email community.learning@n-somerset.gov.uk
Prospectuses
There are various prospectuses, plans, and guidance documents created to guide the team’s work and decision-making.
These can be viewed on our prospectuses page
Contact us
Make a general enquiry, or request for a particular person/team below by emailing us on business@n-somerset.gov.uk
For anything filming related, please visit North Somerset Film Office
Behind the team
Jane Harrison
Head of Economy
Jane Harrison
- Oversees activity of the team
- Provide support to Elected Members
- West of England Combined Authority (WECA) representation
- Manages key strategic business accounts
- Provide support to Elected Members
- West of England Combined Authority (WECA) representation
- Manages key strategic business accounts
Mandie Berry
Business Support and Sector Development Manager
Mandie Berry
- Sector Development (lead for food and drink, visitor and rural economy)
- Business Support programme development
- The Food Works and Phase 2 development
- Rural England Prosperity Fund
- Business Support programme development
- The Food Works and Phase 2 development
- Rural England Prosperity Fund
Jayne G
Economic Development Manager
Jayne G
- Responsible for the delivery of the Employment and Skills Strategy
- Leading on a variety of Employment and Skills workstreams
- Monitoring and maintaining service standards
- Collaborating to design provision to meet gaps and enhance outcomes for residents and businesses
- Leading on a variety of Employment and Skills workstreams
- Monitoring and maintaining service standards
- Collaborating to design provision to meet gaps and enhance outcomes for residents and businesses
Beck J
Community Learning Team Leader
Beck J
- Manages the NSC Community Learning (CL) team
- Oversees direct and commissioned delivery of CL courses
- Ensures CL curriculum addresses local skills gaps and meets employer needs
- Oversees quality standards
- Manages NSC’s City and Guilds centre
- Oversees direct and commissioned delivery of CL courses
- Ensures CL curriculum addresses local skills gaps and meets employer needs
- Oversees quality standards
- Manages NSC’s City and Guilds centre
Abbe H
Economic Development Officer
Abbe H
- Sector support activity for North Somerset’s food and drink businesses
- Strategic support for, and development of, The Food Works SW
- Administration of the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) grant programme, supporting rural businesses with capital grants
- Project and contract management
- Strategic support for, and development of, The Food Works SW
- Administration of the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) grant programme, supporting rural businesses with capital grants
- Project and contract management
Charlie O
Economic Development Officer
(Business Engagement)
(Business Engagement)
Charlie O
- Targeted sector support for visitor economy and creative industries
- Lead for Business Support Unlocked
- Strategic support for the hive, WECA Growth Hub, Visit West, Visit Somerset
- Oversees business support delivery and contract management
- Provides business engagement support across the region
- Lead for Business Support Unlocked
- Strategic support for the hive, WECA Growth Hub, Visit West, Visit Somerset
- Oversees business support delivery and contract management
- Provides business engagement support across the region
Cirlei I
ESOL Coordinator
Cirlei I
- Oversees the delivery of educational programs that help non-native speakers and resettled refugees learn English and develop their employment skills.
- To work with a range of providers and partners to identify supply, demand and unmet need to improve access to ESOL across North Somerset.
- To work with a range of providers and partners to identify supply, demand and unmet need to improve access to ESOL across North Somerset.
Dan S
Economic Development Officer
Dan S
- Undertake commercial property searches in order to help businesses and organisations find premises.
- Responsible for planning responses on behalf of the Economy Team.
- Co-responsible for the day-to-day operations of the North Somerset Film Office, answering queries and granting filming permit applications.
- Responsible for planning responses on behalf of the Economy Team.
- Co-responsible for the day-to-day operations of the North Somerset Film Office, answering queries and granting filming permit applications.
Gerard G
Economic Development Officer
Gerard G
- Project Management support including UKSPF
- Engaging and supporting businesses in North Somerset
- Lead North Somerset Film office
- Oversee team websites, newsletter and digital presence
- Engaging and supporting businesses in North Somerset
- Lead North Somerset Film office
- Oversee team websites, newsletter and digital presence
Iona Gibbons
English for Speakers of Other Languages
Community Learning Development Worker
Community Learning Development Worker
Iona Gibbons
- Network with local organisations and individuals to identify skills gaps.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
Jane G
Economic Development Officer
Employment and Skills
Employment and Skills
Jane G
- Co-ordinate various projects in line with the Employment and Skills strategy
- Work with partner agencies to increase employment and skills opportunities and raise awareness to North Somerset residents
- Monitor social value delivery on various capital projects to enhance employment and skills offer to residents.
- Work with partner agencies to increase employment and skills opportunities and raise awareness to North Somerset residents
- Monitor social value delivery on various capital projects to enhance employment and skills offer to residents.
Julie ‘JP’ Evans
Confidence and Employability
Community Learning Development Worker
Community Learning Development Worker
Julie ‘JP’ Evans
- Network with local organisations and individuals to identify skills gaps.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
Julie Beynon
Addiction Recovery and Mental Health
Community Learning Development Worker
Community Learning Development Worker
Julie Beynon
- Network with local organisations and individuals to identify skills gaps.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
Leanne Carter
Digital Skills and Learning for Wellbeing
Community Learning Development Worker
Community Learning Development Worker
Leanne Carter
- Network with local organisations and individuals to identify skills gaps.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
- Organise courses that develop skills and knowledge, improve mental and physical wellbeing and increase confidence and employability
- Identify and engage residents with few or no formal qualifications and those at risk of social, financial and/or digital exclusion.
- Ensure all learners receive advice and support to help them progress to further learning, volunteering and work opportunities.
Leanne D
Opportunity North Somerset Project Officer
Leanne D
- Providing impartial service to help develop confidence and improve wellbeing
- Working with customers and partner organisations to increase employment and skills opportunities and raise awareness to North Somerset residents
- Community outreach to imrpove local employment skills provision
- Working with customers and partner organisations to increase employment and skills opportunities and raise awareness to North Somerset residents
- Community outreach to imrpove local employment skills provision
Louisa J
Employer of Choice Project Co-ordinator
Louisa J
- Co-ordinate the work experience and placements offer for North Somerset Council
- Manage various projects, like supported internships, with external partners
- Manage various projects, like supported internships, with external partners
Luke J
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Programme Manager
Programme Manager
Luke J
- Oversees delivery of £3m UKSPF funding in North Somerset
- Ensures UKSPF projects stay within budget and deliver target outcomes
- Reports on projects’ impact and progress to the council and UK Government
- Ensures UKSPF projects stay within budget and deliver target outcomes
- Reports on projects’ impact and progress to the council and UK Government
Vicki W
Opportunity North Somerset Project Officer
Vicki W
- Providing impartial service to help develop confidence and improve wellbeing
- Working with customers and partner organisations to increase employment and skills opportunities and raise awareness to North Somerset residents
- Community outreach to imrpove local employment skills provision
- Working with customers and partner organisations to increase employment and skills opportunities and raise awareness to North Somerset residents
- Community outreach to imrpove local employment skills provision