Kent rural business centre opens to boost jobs
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A new centre that aims to boost rural business and jobs has been
unveiled.
Hadlow College’s Rural Regeneration Centre, officially opened on
Thursday by Sir Robert Worcester, chancellor of the University
of Kent, is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.
It opened on the day that a report disclosed that huge numbers
of young people are drifting from the countryside to the cities to
find work.
The eco-friendly building, pre-fabricated in Austria and costing
£450,000, is on a working dairy - Blackman’s Farm - in Hadlow. It
has created three jobs and will play a key role in teaching
students about sustainability, climate change and rural business.
It will also host meetings and conferences on rural business
issues.
The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has pumped
£200,000 into the project. Valerie Carter, SEEDA’s rural director,
hailed an iconic building that would be "a showcase for sustainable
design."
Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Hadlow College’s finance director, said:
"I’m hoping the programme we’ve got will make agriculture and
related rural industries attractive to people. There are some
fantastic careers in the rural sector."
The college is working with Kent County Council and
JobCentrePlus to get people off the dole and skilled up to take on
jobs in the land-based sector. "We are here to support and develop
rural business and the communities it represents," Mr
Lumsdon-Taylor added.
Andrew Wickham, KCC deputy Cabinet member for regeneration and
economic development, said: "This centre has an important part to
play in shaping the future of Kent’s land-based sector."
Helen Grant, prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate
for Maidstone and the Weald was among around 100 guests at the
opening ceremony. She said "Another triumph for Hadlow College. The
rural Regeneration Centre is highly impressive and illustrates
Hadlow’s commitment to sustainability and to tackling climate
change.
"Sustainability is very important to the rural business sector
and once again Hadlow is leading the way by example."
Friday, March 05 2010
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