Ludlow
Businesses, especially in the rural market towns, have a strong link with their community where staff and owners live in the area and are familiar with their customers. Previously the pace of life was very relaxed but the world of commerce has become more complicated and visitors from outside the area have become an important growth area. At the same time business succession no longer relies on passing businesses down the family line and traditional apprenticeships are less available.
In 2001 Graeme Perks was keen to develop an approach of celebrating young persons achievements and allowing artisans from the business community to help nurture the next generations.
The craft festival at Ludlow castle provided a showcase to celebrate the work of young people at schools and colleges. Artisans in business, county education advisors and agencies working for the common good.
From this, Graeme asked the chamber to host the next stage of development of Skillbuilders. Since then, a whole family of people in business have joined in. Working with the food festival, artisans went in to schools developing the principles pioneered with the furniture/textile projects. Artisans in business taking their skills base into the schools and working with education professionals and enthusiastic youngsters.
Peter Cook of Prices Bakery provides an excellent example of an artisan in business putting something back into the community.
The business community working with education professionals can contribute to the well-being of our community. Over the last few years, regional and national acknowledgement of the successes of Skillbuilders has equipped us with the confidence to expand the activities.
The business support crosses sectors from food and drink to engineering. Recently, working with our French twin town, young people from our local college and one of the French colleges shared best practice in Ludlow. 
Skill builders is a collaboration of businesses supporting the education professionals to ensure the next generation are well prepared to take their turn working in rural market town businesses. Most people in business are very busy and are not sure how to engage with the education professionals to assist in ensuring the next generation of artisans will maintain that the special nature of market towns businesses continues. Skill builders allows people in business to do their bit in collaboration, and partnership offers a really exciting development contributing to the education initiatives for the 14 to 19 agenda.
Acknowledgement by the County’s Business Awards would offer a positive boost as we enter the 7th year of activity as a new social enterprise – positively sharing the collaborative approach with neighbouring counties, regions and our twin towns.