Economic Participation
Opportunity for all in the sustainable economy
Successful regions seek to maximise the contribution of the whole population to the economy, and the opportunities for everyone to benefit. They actively attract and embed new groups, generate wealth within all communities and respond quickly and positively to change.
Accelerating economic change has had positive effects on many parts of the region. However, some people have not been able to benefit from this growth and achieve their full potential because of the barriers they face. These may include a lack of appropriate skills, knowledge or confidence; lack of access to business support; having a work-limiting illness or employer attitudes or practices. These barriers to participation may particularly affect people in certain geographical locations or in a certain demographic sector of the population. They have costly implications for the individuals concerned, for the communities in which they live and for overall quality of life.
Supporting economic participation is a key driver of productivity. By overcoming these barriers, the region will be able to: harness the untapped time, skills and creativity of its people; reduce the costs of benefit claims; grow its workforce to meet our economic targets and raise the quality of life for all who live and work in the region.
The regional social strategy provides a full analysis of the nature and sources of social exclusion and disadvantage in the East of England, and sets out a strategy for tackling the issues. The regional economic strategy is not intended to duplicate the regional social strategy, but to work alongside it by addressing the economic factors identified there as important causes of disadvantage. Economic Participation tackles the barriers that inhibit people’s opportunities to participate in the economy and make the most of their potential.
RES toolbox
