Plan for Good Jobs 21 | Page 5

FOREWORD BY COUNCILLOR BASSAM MAHFOUZ , CABINET MEMBER FOR DECENT LIVING INCOMES

Covid-19 will be the defining period of many of our lives and has brutally exposed and amplified the deep rooted poverty and structural inequalities in our society .
It has disproportionately impacted upon members of our Black , Asian and minority ethnic ( BAME ) communities who have suffered higher covid-19 death rates and the greatest health impacts when compared to their white ethnicity peers . The frontline staff and key workers , who enabled many of us to remain safe and healthy during the pandemic , are often the least well paid in society , and they too have been most disproportionally impacted by their greater exposure to contracting the virus . Our young people and children have suffered immeasurably by missing out on significant periods of education , missing their exams , and are now left wondering what the future might hold . All of this is compounded by the existential threat of climate change and the ongoing racial inequality across the globe that has been magnified by the tragic murder of George Floyd in North America in 2020 . Compared to these global issues , our exit from the European Union almost feels insignificant , however this too has the potential to cause serious disruption and harm to our local businesses , supply chain networks and borough workforce .
With all this in mind , there cannot be a return to ‘ business as usual ’, instead this must be a global reset moment that will genuinely tackle the inequality and poverty that blights so many lives . This document is essentially the council ’ s action plan for mitigating the ongoing socioeconomic impacts of Covid-19 with a focus on ’ creating good jobs ’ – one of the council ’ s three priorities as outlined in the recently refreshed Council Plan .
Our plan for good jobs starts to outline how we as a collection of partners in Ealing should come together , share knowledge , resources and responsibility in rebuilding and renewing Ealing ’ s local economy . An economy that grows differently than it did before , and economy that becomes more resilient and diverse and therefore resistant to future economic shocks of the scale and magnitude of covid-19 . A shock that has been particularly severe in Ealing with many residents suffering from jobs losses at Heathrow airport and its multiple supply chains in the manufacturing and service industries . Our efforts must be relentless in providing the quick support needed , whether that is through education , reskilling and upskilling for Ealing ’ s hardest hit residents to access new employment or equally through innovation , digitalisation , and diversification to allow Ealing ’ s businesses to adapt and thrive in the emerging post-covid economy . We must also redefine an inward investment approach that puts Ealing at the front of the queue in attracting the new businesses and growing sectors that will provide the stable jobs of today and in the future . Thankfully we have a head start in Ealing with our rich heritage of creativity , culture , and industry . Our plan for good jobs sets out the ambition to reinforce and strengthen what we have got whilst being brave enough to take measured risks and repurpose and reimagine parts of our town centres and industrial areas , so they attract very best inward investment and the new jobs and opportunities that come with that . In doing this , we will target our support and investment to those communities and neighbourhoods that have been under invested in and left behind .
When you read our plan for good jobs , you will realise that it is focused on actions and objectives over the short term , and I believe this is right for now given the ongoing trajectory of the pandemic and the need to carefully manage and prioritise our finite resources that continue to be stretched . However , this plan also starts a very important and potentially radical conversation on how more economic control is put in the hands of local people so they can create a local economy that nurtures and sustains their needs . The actions and objectives within this document are only the start of a more fundamental reform of our local economy that must be more inclusive , more sustainable , and more socially just and I look forward to working with all our partners , residents , and businesses in bringing this about .
Ealing ’ s Plan for Good Jobs Towards an inclusive economy

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