Business leaders, educators, policymakers and innovators gathered for the Thames Valley Growth Conference this week, hosted by Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce at BD and supported by the University of Reading.
The sold-out event brought together organisations from across the region to discuss the future of economic growth, workforce skills, investment and innovation in the Thames Valley, with a strong focus on collaboration and long-term regional prosperity.
Hosted by Phil Smith CBE, Chair of Skills England, and Becky Wirth, Head of Government Affairs at 3M, the conference featured keynote addresses from Andy Haldane, former Chief Economist at the Bank of England and President of the British Chambers of Commerce, Ian Wakefield, VP and General Manager at BD, and Professor Robert Van de Noort CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading.
The agenda included panel discussions on “Power to the Region: Devolution and Growth”, “Workforce 2030: Skills to Compete and Grow” and “Powering Growth: Thames Valley Sectors”, with contributions from senior business leaders, MPs, educators and policy experts from across the UK.
A key theme throughout the conference was the importance of empowering regions to drive their own economic success. Andy Haldane spoke passionately about the opportunities that could be unlocked through greater local collaboration, smarter investment and devolution, while also highlighting the need to increase investment into UK businesses from domestic pension funds.
Speaking during the event, Haldane encouraged business and political leaders to focus investment strategically, sharing his advice to “Stick and Pick, Don’t Spray and Pray”.
Discussions also focused heavily on workforce skills and the need to better prepare young people for future careers. Panellists highlighted the importance of collaboration between education providers, employers and families to help young people develop creativity, confidence and curiosity from an early age, particularly in STEM subjects.
There was also honest debate around recruitment challenges facing businesses today, including unrealistic hiring expectations and the growing use of AI-generated applications. Speakers called for employers to invest more in mentoring, training and long-term workforce development rather than expecting fully formed candidates from day one.
One of the strongest messages from the day was the importance of investing in people and creating opportunities for talent to grow locally.
The conference also explored the role of transport, infrastructure, inward investment and emerging technologies in supporting economic growth across the Thames Valley. Speakers stressed the importance of committing to longer-term strategic plans and the value of the connections with devolved regions such as Cambridgeshire and the North East of England and learning lessons from their growth plans which cut across traditional local public sector boundaries to better reflect supply chains and the scale needed to get noticed nationally and internationally.
The event showcased the strength of collaboration already taking place across the region and beyond, including partnerships between Chambers of Commerce, businesses, universities and civic leaders working together to drive innovation and prosperity.
Paul Britton, CEO, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce said “The Growth Conference took place during a week of significant national political uncertainty and demonstrated why the Thames Valley remains one of the UK’s most dynamic and innovative regions, with a focus on what can be achieved locally and at scale in spite of uncertainty.
There was a notable shift in the 12 months since the previous Conference at Syngenta to a vocal shared responsibility between industry and education for skills development across the Thames Valley. The Local Skills Improvement Plans have done a great job in effectively shining a light on the benefits to both the education system and the interests of ‘enlightened’ employers who dedicate time and energy to investing in their future and current workforce. As a regional Chamber we left motivated to work with the British Chambers of Commerce to pursue changes in policy from central Government to incentivise this enlightened approach and show what can be done as a result.”
Clive Jones, MP for Wokingham said “The Thames Valley is a powerhouse in the UK’s economy, home to world-leading businesses that drive growth and create skilled jobs. As the Chair of the Thames Valley APPG, I will continue to make it clear to the government that investing in the Thames Valley means boosting growth for the entire nation.”
