HAMPSHIRE Economic Partnership (HEP), the organisation whose primary purpose is to ensure joined up thinking in the county's business community, has formed a marine policy group.
The marine industry is of critical importance to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with more than 10,000 marine jobs throughout the region.
With more than four times as many jobs in the sector locally compared with the UK average, HEP has established the policy group to work alongside its existing 12 industry groups.
The group, made up of senior representatives from the marine industry, is chaired by Graham Clarke, the senior partner of Lymington based Euromaritime.
Other members include Lean Logistics, MSI, Yellow Fin, Green Marine, PLW Associates, Formula One Spars, Sparkes Marine and Williams Shipping.
At the inaugural meeting, members discussed many of the key issues and challenges currently facing their industry sector.
These were highlighted as the availability of a skills base coupled with an increasingly ageing workforce.
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