MEET, EAT & LEARN Workshop

Calling ALL BID Levy Payers!

Join us for a FREE friendly and informal workshop, over a delicious complimentary buffet breakfast, designed to help you deal with the challenges of recruitment and skills training.

If you are struggling to recruit the right staff, or want to know where to access the relevant training courses to upskill, and help retain good people - this workshop is for you!

Plymouth Waterfront Partnership have brought together a great line up of skills, education and marketing professionals who will deliver all the information you need to help you build a successful team.

We have representatives from Plymouth City Council, City College Plymouth and Eddystone Media, ready to answer your questions and provide help and support to keep your business growing!

Jon Walton

CEO Plymouth Waterfront Partnership

The Waterfront Business Improvement District (BID) has been in operation since April 2012 and is delivered through Plymouth Waterfront Partnership Ltd (PWP), a not-for-profit organisation.

The BID encompasses more than 960 businesses, of which approximately 560 are Levy Payers across four and a half square miles of the Plymouth Waterfront.

Our projects outlined in the current Business Plan for Waterfront BID3 are focused around four key themes: Business Voice, Environmental Excellence, Vibrant Tourist Attraction, Transformational – Creating the Waterfront of Tomorrow, Today!

Through the support of our businesses, we deliver three large annual events; Pirates Weekend (2024 was the biggest and best ever attracting 41K visitors across the weekend), Seafest, and the Barbican Christmas Lights Switch On.

We work in close partnership with many key stakeholders across the city including, Plymouth City Council - our event delivery partners, Destination Plymouth, Plymouth City Centre Company, City College Plymouth, and University of Plymouth.

James Blake

Visitor Economy Co-ordinator – Plymouth City Council

Education, Partnership & Skills

Welcoming Plymouth is Plymouth City Council’s new skills sector partnership working to connect the businesses and people of Plymouth with opportunities for skills, training, education, careers and jobs in tourism, hospitality, retail and leisure. Fully aligned with Destination Plymouth and enabled through Department for Work and Pensions funding, support is available to help PWP businesses with challenges in recruitment and retention, as well as connect them with opportunities to upskill their staff.

Jane Hunt

Senior Economic Development Officer SEND – Plymouth City Council
Education, Participation and Skills

Jane Hunt has worked for Plymouth City Council for 11 years, initially in Economic Development before transitioning to Education, Partnerships & Skills. Currently, Jane manages and monitors several external funds for Plymouth City Council, including the supported internship grant provided by the Department for Education (DfE). She collaborates closely with the Plymouth SEND Employment Forum to enhance the availability of supported internship opportunities for young people in the city.

The Plymouth SEND Employment Forum, established in January 2023, has significantly increased the number of supported internships in Plymouth from 9 to 65, with an ambitious target of reaching 100 by September 2024. Jane is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse recruitment and retention approach to benefit both young people and businesses in Plymouth, helping both to thrive.

Jamie Rowley

Director of Apprenticeships – City College Plymouth

My role is Director of Apprenticeships & Employer Services at City College Plymouth. As head of the College’s Employer Solutions Team, I am responsible for all aspects of our Apprenticeship provision. The team supports employers across the city and the wider region in the development of their businesses. Our focus is on understanding the needs of employers locally and meeting those requirements by providing the right people for the right jobs, matching the best candidates for the roles available. We also help meet training and upskilling needs with businesses. I have worked in further education for 20 years and am a fierce advocate of Apprenticeships and the benefits they bring, and am hugely proud of the facilities we have at the College. As a Devonian born and bred, I want to see all sectors in our city grow with the help of our Employer Solutions Team.

Lee McQueen – Director of Adult Education & Skills Growth – City College Plymouth

Lee McQueen is the Director of Adult Education and Business Growth at City College Plymouth, having joined the college with over 20 years’ experience in business innovation and growth strategy. Leading on initiatives that make a tangible difference to social mobility and economic growth is a particular area of interest, and she's excited about the positive impact that the college's lifelong learning focus is already having in the city.

Scott Grenney – Social Media & Marketing for PWP – Eddystone Media

“Scott Grenney is a Digital Media Consultant, with over 16 years’ experience based in Plymouth. Owner of Eddystone Media and Co-Founder of One Plymouth helping to celebrate the #BestOfPlymouth. He specialises in building digital communities and supporting businesses, organisations and events to thrive online. Scott clients are diverse, ranging from sole traders to SMEs across various industries, as well as councils and business improvement districts including the PWP BID, where he supports their digital media communications”

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Crowne Plaza Plymouth, an IHG Hotel, Armada Way, Plymouth, United Kingdom