REIDsteel was among the businesses at a round table discussion held by the Jobs Foundation’s South West Regional Council. More than 20 attendees from business, charity and education attended the event at Exeter College of Further Education. They included our managing director Simon Boyd, who is chairman of the regional council and a trustee of the Jobs Foundation. The event – for which the Jobs Foundation partnered with the college - was the council’s first round table following its launch in Christchurch in September. It began with a panel discussion, chaired by Mike Blakeley, executive director of partnerships & apprenticeships at Exeter College and chair of the Constructing Excellence South West Skills Panel. He was joined on the panel by Simon, Jobs Foundation co-founder and chief executive Georgiana Bristol and Helen Wylde-Archibald. Helen is the chief executive of Devon Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of South West AI Solutions Ltd. The discussion addressed a range of issues such as AI in the workplace, the constraints on regional job creation, the benefit of investing in employees and the misconceptions around hiring from non-traditional backgrounds. Jobs Foundation business council manager Kellen Hadfield and Simon then led a roundtable discussion focussed on the South West skills pipeline, employment from non-traditional backgrounds and the obstacles to business growth. It was another successful event with valuable discussions about job creation, social mobility and business growth. The council is set to announce its south west steering group shortly. REIDsteel was one of the founding members of the Jobs Foundation. Simon is pictured with Georgiana Bristol at the event in Exeter. Email Kellen at kellen@thejobsfoundation.com to find out more about the regional business council.