Business West has become the latest organisation to back an event designed to combat an 'impending jobs crisis'.

Gloucester MP Richard Graham is organising the Gloucestershire Jobs, Skills and Apprenticeships Lift Off at Kingsholm on September 11.

Punchline-Gloucester.com is backing the event which is being supported by the likes of Gloucestershire College, University of Gloucestershire, Western Power Distribution, EDF Energy, Jobcentre Plus, Gloucestershire County Council, GFirst LEP, Spirax Sarco and Glos Jobs.

All of Gloucestershire's MPs have promised to attend along with apprenticeships minister Gillian Keehan while employment minister Mims Davies will be attending the event virtually.

Business West's Gloucestershire director Ian Mean said: "I make no apology for having urged our MPs in Gloucestershire to step up to the plate and help us all to stave off the impending jobs crisis.

"Here in Gloucestershire where we have had 89 000 employees on furlough and as many as 45 per cent of those people could well find themselves redundant by the time the furlough scheme closes at the end of October.

"So this very innovative event is so important.

"Our young people need all the support we can give them at this challenging time for their futures so please support this event."

Mr Graham said the event was a call to arms across the county to tackle the jobs problem.

He said: "We need this Lift Off to showcase what we have available in help for businesses as well as jobs, skills training and apprenticeships.

"We want to attract small and big employers to the event as well as job seekers.

"We've been here before after the recession of 2008-09, but the context is very different and the scale of the challenge for businesses almost certainly greater."