[New] SPOTLIGHT FOCUS AREA Welwyn Hatfield

By Ka Ng, Chief Executive and Chris Barnes, Executive Director Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

What attracts business to Welwyn Hatfield?

A skilled and ready workforce, excellent transport links, and a business-friendly environment are just a few of the reasons why many businesses proudly call Welwyn Hatfield their home. Strategically located for easy access to the whole of Hertfordshire, London, Oxford and Cambridge, businesses know they will be able to attract and retain the people needed to make their businesses thrive. There are a wide range of facilities available, from SME and start-up office space in HatTech and WelTech business centres, to a mix of industrial and campus facilities, the historic Towns of Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and the Villages provide a unique backdrop for business.

In what way do you work with/help

local businesses?

Working in partnership is key to success, ensuring the public sector can unlock any barriers preventing businesses from growing. At HatTech and WelTech, two Council-operated business centres, smaller organisations are given an environment to collaborate and thrive, with popular workshops hosted on key topics. The Council also has a dedicated Economic Development Officer, who is able to act as a first point of contact and provide support. Our approach is typified by our Welwyn Hatfield business forum, where businesses are encouraged to participate in a Forum with other businesses, supported by the Council, to influence decisions affecting businesses in the area and find out how to access training and support. The Council also works in

The Council has also given out £31m of grants to businesses using COVID related funding from the Government.

What skills/talent are available locally and what impact do they have on the region?

With national and regional training providers such as the University of Hertfordshire and Oaklands College located within the Borough, there is a diverse workforce with a range of skills and experience. This is reflected through the businesses located here, with large supermarket head office campuses, pharmaceutical, technology and public service providers utilising a breadth of skills and talent coming through and to the Borough. Opportunities for collaboration and training are at the heart of this, with strong connections between the University and College and many of the employers.

In what areas are there shortages of skills and what can be done about it?

Businesses across the UK are experiencing skills shortages and for many of the borough’s SME businesses this could pose a threat to their growth. Improving the employability of all our residents is critical if we are to achieve local growth, reduce welfare dependency and boost productivity. We recognise that to support people furthest from the labour market into sustained work, much more is needed beyond employment support alone. Working with the borough’s key stakeholders we are addressing specific needs such as physical and mental health – recognising good health improves chances of finding and staying in work.

We are working closely with the Hertfordshire LEPs Careers Hub to support young people to be work ready and linking them in with the business community to help them to understand the skills they will need to meet future demand. Generation Welwyn Hatfield Careers Fair takes place on Friday 24 February 2023 and throughout the day we are expecting over 1,000 students, giving them the opportunity to network with over 40 local businesses.

Reskilling and upskilling are vital aspects of future strategy for businesses looking to avoid skills shortages. We work with partners including the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce to deliver and promote training opportunities for existing employees which support increased motivation, effectiveness, and productivity.

Are there any new developments locally that are providing new jobs/ opportunities for the area?

Like many areas, pressure to make land available for residential development has never been greater, and the past few years have seen landowners utilise a relaxation of the planning system to redevelop commercial sites. That is why it is so important that the Council protects and grows sustainable employment spaces, allocating sites within the emerging Local Plan, and utilising Article 4 Direction powers to restrict the loss of important employment centres.

The Borough has a diverse range of urban and employment sites, from large campuses, to converted agricultural buildings, and it is important that we support and encourage a diverse economy, supporting all sectors. The Garden City and New Town principles of ensuring sustainable local training and employment opportunities, and job growth, alongside the delivery of new housing, is at the heart of the Council’s emerging Local Plan, and the creative re-use of historic buildings for employment purposes has seen positive developments delivered by the Gascoyne Estates.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has been proactive in trying to support businesses in dealing with major challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, climate emergency and cost of living crisis. From providing grants and advice, to signposting organisations to sources of support, we have tried to actively support our business community wherever possible. One example of this is the LED lighting scheme, which has seen Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, in partnership with Eastern Energy Network, able to offer grants to businesses of up to £5,000 to fully fund projects to reduce their energy bills and become more environmentally sustainable. This includes the opportunity to have a free, energy audit carried out which will identify key energy efficiency improvement opportunities. Businesses receive a concise report outlining key recommendations. Where the energy audit report demonstrates that the business would benefit by changing to LED lighting, the council can provide grant funding for these works to be delivered, reducing costs and tackling climate change.

The Council has also been investing heavily on the public infrastructure and installed significant number of electric vehicle charging points throughout the borough. In fact, the council has the highest growth in the number of EV charging points in the country.

If you had to pick out a priority over the next few years for Welwyn Hatfield –what would that be?

With the range of challenges facing businesses and communities, it has never been harder to pickout only one priority, as it is hard to look at issues in isolation. One of the key priorities for the Council will be increasing the opportunities to collaborate with and listen to our businesses, to ensure that we can adapt our offer to their needs, ensuring that decisions we make place our residents and businesses at the centre, supporting local economic growth.

Datum’s creative use of Hertfordshire space

For 30 years Datum Creative Media has been providing marketing and brand campaign services to clients across a broad range of sectors.

Initially based in Shoreditch in London, in 2000 Datum moved to Hertfordshire, after its biggest client at the time relocated there.

As managing partner Mark Gamble explains, the move out of London worked well and the company hasn’t looked back since.

After 21 years in Hatfield, Datum moved again –but this time just a few miles down the road to Cuffley.

Mark explains that the studio they have in Cuffley is a great facility and the area is surrounded by restaurants, gyms and bars. “The location is fantastic and something similar in Central London would be a lot more expensive.”

Is a location not far from London still important to companies like Datum in an age of virtual meetings?

“Yes, it is still important. A lot of our bigger clients are based in London so I am probably in the city once a week. Most if us (Datum staff) live on the outskirts of London so it is easy travelling. Our office is just a few minutes from the train station and the M25 is close too – it is a good place to be based.”

Recruiting pressures

What about recruiting talent – is it challenging? “To a degree yes,” Mark says. “It is not always easy getting the right people.

A lot of ‘creatives’ want to be based in London and this means you are often competing against London wages. But I think in the last few years people have become less worried about working further away – especially if the working conditions are as good as they are in Cuffley!”

In addition to major clients Datum have worked for over the years, from the likes of Waitrose and Adidas to The Royal Bank of Canada, Mark says there is a good weight of business from locallybased SMEs who have consistently turned to Datums for their marketing and branding needs.

In terms of new business links, Mark says the local Chamber of Commerce has been enormously helpful. “We joined the Chamber about a year ago – we had been a member previously but that was years before. I have been really impressed with the network and training events offered – they are so varied”.

Mark adds: “If you want to know about tax accounting in the Middle East, there is probably a course on it!”

“Training is important to us and this is well provided for by the Chamber.”

The networking opportunities are also welcomed at Datum. “We have been given introductions to some large companies across a broad range of industries at Chamber events – and that is hugely beneficial.”

Welwyn Garden City company with a growing export footprint

Liquidsun is a UK (United Kingdom) manufacturer of dietary supplements and food products –tablets, capsules, liquids, powders, and herbal products.

Founded in 2016, the company has grown significantly over the years. Based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, it is conveniently close to the city of London and major motorways with its manufacturing operations sited at Essendine, in Rutland county, located in the midlands.

Our facility is audited and accredited by the SGS for Good Manufacturing Practice. We also have ISO, Organic, Kosher & Halal certifications. We offer a flexible and agile approach to delivering on our client’s needs.

The company is an Equal opportunities employer, employing over 40 personnel. It is currently set out over a working area of 4,000 sqm.

Our brand ‘VitaThrive’ is growing organically both in domestic and export markets. Recently our company had successfully launched on Amazon and is receiving very good response from our users. We now have a growing export footprint with clients in the Middle east, Europe, and America.

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce has been a great asset to our growing business. They assist us in guidance and preparation of export documents in an expeditious manner. They provide us access to valuable resources and seminars that will benefit the skills of our employees. Through lobbying activities, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce has helped us improve our business’ visibility and credibility.

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