As someone who grew up in Somerset it is fantastic to see this rural area benefiting from targeted investment from Levelling Up. Minehead will be sharing part of £19 million with Bridgwater to build a Social Care Training facility. This is on top of the £50 million already invested in Hinkley C, the largest employer in the area and £23 million for the eleven business cases of the Bridgwater town deal.
The new centre will be split over two sites and be used to "attract, retain, grow, and upskill" key workers in the health and social care sector. It will boost staff numbers in Somerset and encourage them to remain in the county after they finish training. This will also provide an incentive for technology companies to set up near the site to "drive innovation" and create further jobs whilst the centre will provide more capacity for primary care services in and around the town, allowing more people to be supported in their own homes.
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove said: "We are firing the starting gun on more than 100 transformational projects in every corner of the UK that will revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential.
"This new funding will create jobs, drive economic growth, and help to restore local pride. We are delivering on the people’s priorities, levelling up across the UK to ensure that no matter where you are from, you can go as far as your talents will take you."
