People in Swindon and Wiltshire are better qualified than the British average

But high rates of employment mean it’s sometimes hard to fill jobs - and we need workers with higher skills.

Those are some of the highlights on the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s annual report.

The body, which exists to attract funding for projects to enhance the county’s economy said 39.5 per cent of the population have qualifications at NVQ Level 4 or above, compared to 38.6 per cent for the entire country. And while 7.7 per cent of people in Great Britain has no qualifications art all, that drops to 5.2 percent here.

But increasing skills in the local population is the LEP’s number one priority.

It’s report says: “We have received the message loud and clear from employers that developing a workforce with a higher level of skill will help them stay competitive and achieve the growth they need.”

The report adds: “Our economy was worth £18bn in 2016 and continues to grow in line with the UK average.Eighty-five per cent of our working age population is economically active, which is good news, but it also means many of our businesses are having problems recruiting staff and in 2017 half of all vacancies were seen as hard to fill.”

To drive the county’s economy, the LEP has set up three growth zones, one encompassing the entire M4 corridor across North Wiltshire and Swindon, one for the western border of the county and another in the south-east.

It lists major projects at upgrading M4 Junction 17 and 16 as part of its strategy and the £800,000 rapid transit scheme linking Swindon to the M4 is also part of the growth plan.

£14m was spent on the zones in 2016/17 and 2245 jobs delivered. By 2021, the total spend will have been £523m.

LEP director Paddy Bradley said: “The Growth Deal has brought more money to Swindon and Wiltshire that it has ever before and will continue to do so if we get this programme right.”

Chairman John Mortimer added: “We have been engaging closely with businesses. It is only by listening to them that we will succeed in growing the county’s economy across rural areas as those in the towns.”