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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

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

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

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

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

Charlie O

Economic Development Officer
(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

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.

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.

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

Iona Gibbons

English for Speakers of Other Languages
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.

Jane G

Economic Development Officer
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.

Julie ‘JP’ Evans

Confidence and Employability
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.

Julie Beynon

Addiction Recovery and Mental Health
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.

Leanne Carter

Digital Skills and Learning for Wellbeing
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.

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

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

Luke J

UK Shared Prosperity Fund
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

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

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