County councillors are set to approve an economic recovery plan aiming to combat job losses in Lichfield and Burntwood due to the coronavirus.
Among the measures are an £870,000 investment in two small business enterprise centres, a support programme for start-ups and a redundancy and recruitment ‘triage centre’.
Staffordshire County Council said the number of out-of-work claimants in the region had increased to 5.1% in May.
Cllr Mark Winnington said the five-year plan would help mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19.
“Tomorrow, we are set to approve our economic recovery plan which details the numerous measures the county council and our partners have put in place to support people and business through these incredibly difficult times.
“We acted as quickly as possible to ensure people could access the right type of support and we know it has made a difference.
“We want people to know how they can benefit from these schemes now.
“We anticipate tough times ahead for businesses and our economy, especially as the Job Retention Scheme draws to a close in the autumn.
“We are preparing for this and doing all we can, working with partners and central government, to mitigate the impact of the crisis.
“We are signposting people to the growth hub to seek advice and support in the first instance.”
Cllr Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council
A live webinar is being hosted by the Redundancy and Recruitment Triage Service tomorrow (17th June). People can find out more by visiting www.stokestaffsgrowthhub.co.uk or calling 0300 111 8002.
The plan will be discussed at a meeting of the county council’s cabinet at 10am tomorrow.