Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

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Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce support tourism and hospitality The Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce has set up the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber dedicated to developing the industry.

Worth just under £1 billion a year to Lincolnshire alone, the visitor economy is one of the most important growth sectors for the region.

The visitor economy encompasses not only traditional tourism but also business visitors, culture and heritage, events and festivals, and education.

The visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market is significant, as are day visitors who demonstrate the importance of instilling pride and an understanding of Greater Lincolnshire’s offer to residents, stakeholders and business leaders. www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

Lincolnshire one of the most popular retirement destinations in the UK

Looking ahead to Christmas 2012

The increase in the number of older people in the county bring with it opportunities to develop new businesses as well as create jobs within the health and care sector. The LEP believes the increase is an an opportunity for growth. Private investments into provision for the elderly sector are already taking place in Greater Lincolnshire: Kapil Care Homes, for example, will open a new purpose-built 60-bed residential care home for the elderly in Scunthorpe this summer.

The City of Lincoln Council said a record number of businesses have applied for stalls at this year’s Lincoln Christmas Market, many from new businesses that have not attended before. The event in 2011 saw a 25% increase in visitor numbers, with an estimated 200,000 people attending over four days. Local hotels and restaurants benefit from the additional number of visitors so look set to be busy again this year.

www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

The Lincolnite 20 August 2012

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

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Local Skills to World Skills Just like the Olympic Games that sees thousands of the best athletes participate in a variety of competitions, World Skills sees thousands of the most highly skilled people participating in practical work skills competitions. Skills UK is our national process that feeds our most talented into the bi-annual World Skills competition that next takes place in Rio de Janeiro in 2013.

Just like Olympians, those who reach the level expected by Skills UK and World Skills are the very best at what they do and not everyone can reach that elite standard, yet London 2012 has inspired many, many people to take up sport. In the same way, World Skills and Skills UK want to inspire as many people as possible to get involved in practical skills.

As a result, a number of local ‘Have-a-Go’ events have been set up – events to give people, particularly young people, a chance to experience and fall in love with practical skills. There’s nothing like a hands-on experience to enthuse and capture the imagination – that’s what ‘Have-a-Go’ is all about.

Supported by Lincolnshire County Council and Skills UK, the Work Based Academy (WBA) is giving you a chance to try your hand at a whole host of practical skills including:

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Event details: 14-15 November 2012 Grantham College Belton Industrial Estate Belton Lane, Grantham January/February 2013 Wolds College Louth

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8 February 2013 New College Stamford 13-14 March 2013 Springfields Events Centre Spalding March/April 2013 Skegness Youth Event

www.thewba.co.uk

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I decided to look for Work Experience placements through conversations with friends at University and began making enquiries 6 months in advance.

This particular placement was secured in a very short space of time. I got the telephone number for the Good Taste magazine, produced by Lincolnshire County Council, through my mum and phoned just at the right time.

The lady who answered offered me a two-week placement there and then.

I didn’t know what to expect from a placement at the Council.

I asked in advance about dress code and times of work and this sometimes gives an indication of what it might be like.

The department I worked with was very relaxed and I was surrounded by friendly

My two week work experience...has provided me with invaluable experience.

colleagues who all made me feel right at home.

I really enjoyed the mobile aspect of the work, travelling around the County and talking to a wide range of people to gather information for the magazine.

The free magazine, produced twice a year, features news about Lincolnshire food, ideas, recipes and features. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the stories the people we visited had to share and felt I was learning, not just vital work skills, but about Lincolnshire as well.

I enjoyed the variety of work I was asked to do. My tasks ranged from writing articles and press releases to proofreading to searching through Lincolnshire’s archives for old black and white photos. Feedback was always given by the team manager,

helping me learn. Without this feedback the placement would be less valuable.

It is a great area of work to go into if you are interested in Lincolnshire and its culture, including both its heritage and food. Being IT literate and possessing good verbal and written skills were very important, as well as having a thirst to learn more about Lincolnshire.

My two week work experience with the Tourism department of the County Council has provided me with invaluable experience.

Work experience taking place during the summer between second and third year of English degree course at Newcastle.

Previous work experience: retail, two years part time whilst studying A-Levels.

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Engineering A new research and development centre at Dynex Semiconductor Ltd in Lincoln is another sign that Lincolnshire’s engineering sector is doing well. The three-year investment programme is creating up to 40 skilled engineering jobs and protecting the 315-strong workforce.

The rapid expansion of the research and development team at Dynex is fabulous news and developments such as these create high-skilled jobs and encourage graduates to stay and work in the region.

The project has been developed by Dynex in partnership with Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric of China, the majority shareholder of Dynex Power Inc. of Canada.

The Research and Development team is busy working on a range of projects designed to create the applications needed to meet the demands of tomorrow’s key energy, transport and industrial sectors, serving a low-carbon society.

“There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a power electronics revolution and that Dynex and CSR Times Electric are well placed to deliver the advanced innovative power products fuelling this revolution and to deliver the future developments in advanced semiconductor components that will be required,” said Dr Paul Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dynex Semiconductor.

For more information about Dynex see http://www.dynexsemi.com www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

Agri-Food The biggest potato supplier in the country has given young people in Lincolnshire a taste of what it’s like to work in the food industry. Branston Ltd, which employs more than 300 people at its site in Branston, has been taking part in an initiative called Feeding Britain’s Future – Skills for Work Week, which aims to help young people find jobs. The firm hosted two sessions where people aged 16 to 24 were told all about its work and given a tour of the site.

Simon Telfer, HR and logistics director at Branston, hosted the tour of the site which handles 175,000 tonnes of potatoes a year. He said: “We discussed the

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

sorts of jobs and careers people have here at Branston and what we look for as an employer. At Branston, we believe it’s really important to nurture young talent in the region and we have a ‘grow your own’ ethos for developing skills.

Branston’s Charlie Flack started out at the company 12 years ago packing potatoes and has risen through the ranks to become a co-ordinator responsible for helping to develop best practice at the company. “I came to Branston for what I thought would be a couple of weeks, and I am still here,” he said.

“The business has changed over those 12 years beyond all recognition, and I am really glad to be a part of it.”

Ryan Butler, 20, from Heighington is currently looking for work after being a games maker at the Olympics.

He said: “It’s been a really interesting day at Branston.

It has been good to see what the company does and how I can get involved in working in the food industry.”

Kyle Johnson, 22, of Lincoln said: “I wasn’t quite sure what I expected from the session but it was great. “I enjoyed tasting the Branston potato products too!”

For more information about Branston Ltd see http://www.branston.com www.thisislinconlshire.co.uk

Manufacturing in Lincolnshire Manufacturing industry contributes an estimated £1.5 billion to the local economy. Demand for UKmanufactured goods is ever increasing, with more and more firms seeking out products that have been developed in Britain so they can feel confident they are getting a pedigree of design and development stretching back hundreds of years.

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The metals and engineering sector in North Lincolnshire boasts more than 90 businesses and almost 6,000 employees.

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Confidence in the area’s manufacturing industry has been boosted by gas turbine giant Siemens, who are currently investing millions into a new development at Teal Park near Lincoln.

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Greater Grimsby is at the centre of a major concentration of process industries, which in the wider Humber region employs around 15,000 people in 120 companies. The process industries are incredibly diverse and include petro- chemicals; commodity and speciality chemicals; composite materials; pigments and paints; and pharmaceuticals.

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www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

But the high street is under threat as out-oftown shopping centres and the Internet provide alternatives for consumers. In response to the challenges faced by retailers the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is developing its plans and considering the role that the retail sector can play in helping deliver growth across Greater Lincolnshire. Some early findings and recommendations:

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The retail sector is vitally important for the local economy. Around 19% of our employees work in retail and the high street is a key route to market for many of our other sectors, especially food and farming.

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Retail sector important to the Lincolnshire economy

Car parking and pricing policies are crucial to maintaining footfall.

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Specialist niche clusters, such as antiques in Horncastle, crafts in Alford and food in Louth, can help to strengthen a market town’s retail offer.

Other key issues for the retail sector include planning and business rates.

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More research needs to be undertaken, and existing research consolidated, on how market towns in Greater Lincolnshire are performing.

Business Improvement Districts can contribute by developing a positive culture of events and activities.

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www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

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Higher Education applications ...

National reports do not necessarily reflect what is going on in your local area and this story is a good example. Applications to the University of Lincoln actually increased!

The demand for degree courses among British students has dropped by more than 50,000 almost 9% - so far this year. The fall coincides with a decision to almost triple the cap on annual tuition fees to as much as £9,000 in 2012.

Universities in Lincoln have seen an increase in application numbers this autumn, despite a 9% drop nationally.

It was revealed that the largest drop in demand was among English students who face paying higher fees than those from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) said that one-in-20 school leavers from England - around 15,000 in total - who may have been expected to apply for university this year failed to do so.

For the first time, UCAS admitted that fee rises have had a direct bearing on demand for degrees.

It also emerged that applications for some English universities are down by more than a quarter in just 12 months, with the University for the Creative Arts witnessing a slump of 29%. But applications to some Scottish universities have soared.

The drop signifies around 50,000 fewer people applying for university compared to the previous year, but Lincoln did not experience such a dip.

The University of Lincoln saw 13,882 students applying for places from September, a 1% increase year on year.

Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln has 2,093 people applying, which represented a 17.4% rise on last year.

Other universities experienced serious drops in applications, such as Brighton (-15%), Chester (-13.4%), City University (-17.8%).

Elly Sample, University of Lincoln Director of Communications, Development and Marketing, said: “We’re pleased to note UCAS’s report that applications to the University of Lincoln are still bucking the national trend.

Today’s figures show the number of students applying to university by the traditional June 30 deadline.

Any applications made after this date are processed through clearing in mid-August.

“Thanks to our impressive rise in all the independent league tables, demand for places at Lincoln continues to grow at a time when students are choosing their university extremely carefully.

Data shows that overall applications from all countries are down by 7.7% - or 51,709 - to 618,247. Some 15,000 fewer school leavers from England have applied this year compared with 2011, a UCAS analysis found.

“Students want strong academic credentials, good career prospects, a great environment to live in and value for money when it comes to choosing where to study, and the University of Lincoln offers them these.”

Figures also show sharp declines in applications for some universities compared with others. Altogether, demand was down at almost three quarters of elite Russell Group universities, including falls of between eight and 11% at Birmingham, King’s College London, Liverpool, Manchester, the London School of Economics, Warwick and Queen Mary.

“Some places for well-qualified applicants are still available across most courses.”

The sharpest drops among mainstream English universities were at the University for the Creative Arts, with a fall of 29%, followed by Derby with a 25% drop, Goldsmiths with a fall of 21% and Surrey and Aston with falls of around 20%.

Daily Telegraph 9 July 2012

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

Professor Muriel Robinson, Principal of Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln, explained: “It’s very encouraging that the rise in applications we first saw in January has been maintained.

“We have an excellent academic reputation and a safe and attractive campus, and our graduates are very good at finding work: six months after leaving BG more than 94% of them have jobs or are studying further.”

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Lincolnshire grows jobs With a mixture of agriculture, food production and distribution, Greater Lincolnshire is one of the UK’s major food providers, turning out more crops than any other county.

Farming, manufacturing and food processing are worth an estimated £1 billion to the region’s economy, with much of the food processed within the area being found in kitchen cupboards across the UK. The sector employs around 35,000 people in agriculture or food production, while thousands more work in related areas such as farm equipment manufacturing, freezing, distribution, packaging and food importation. The agri-

food industry is increasingly focused on adding value along the food chain, providing high-quality home grown or landed produce to the UK market, with the Port of Grimsby and Immingham being a food import and export hub.

Ongoing training in the agri-food industry is also available at the University of Lincoln’s Holbeach campus through the prestigious National Centre for Food Manufacturing. Supermarket chain

Morrisons has recently announced plans to develop a seafood processing plant in Grimsby, creating 200 jobs. The firm claims the development will make it the only major food retailer to source fish from the quayside and process it for sale across the UK. www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

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Greater Lincolnshire boasts some of the best shipping ports in the UK The Port of Grimsby and Immingham forms the fourth largest port in Northern Europe, handling 54.7m tonnes of cargo, and if measured by tonnage it is the second largest port in the UK. In addition to import-export activities (which include the chemicals sector), the docks underpin distribution for the agri-food sector for the northern area of Greater Lincolnshire.

The Port of Grimsby and Immingham is operated by Associated British Ports (ABP) and major investments in recent years means its docks and specialist terminals are now capable of handling large vessels up to 366 metres in length. With direct routes to and from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and the Far East, companies looking for an export hub or an import solution will find a solution there. Just 200 miles from the global logistics hub of Rotterdam, it is a popular choice for ‘short-sea shipping’ solutions, cutting the bills and saving energy. General quayside warehousing, covered storage facilities and open-storage areas are available.

Greater Lincolnshire also includes the Port of Boston, operated by the Victoria Group. The area benefits from being on the major A1 road as well as the East Coast Main Line rail link, opening up north and south distribution opportunities. Port of Boston offers 650m of quay frontage and a further 700m of riverside berths. It features covered warehouse storage and grain silos and also boasts its own transport fleet and rail access to the national network. www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

Local labour market news Greater Lincolnshire - Key facts t t t

t t t t t t t t

Large geographical area from the Humber to the Wash.

Population of more than one million people and diverse business interests.

Made up of one county council and two unitary authorities: Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire, and seven district councils.

Key employment sectors are agri-food, manufacturing, tourism, renewables, ports and logistics and care.

A higher than average number of SMEs and small businesses.

15% of employees work in manufacturing, 26% work in public administration, 20% work in retail.

National opportunities in the agri-food industry with excellent logistics infrastructure.

Potential to be renewable energy capital of the UK. Visitors are drawn to historic Lincoln and east coast resorts of Skegness, Mablethorpe and Cleethorpes.

Port of Grimsby and Immingham is UK’s largest by tonnage and fourth largest in northern Europe.

Largest deep sea port in Europe.

www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

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Greater Lincolnshire Profile Greater Lincolnshire is a large, varied and thriving sub-region which stretches from the Humber bank in the north to the Wash in the south. It offers a mix of beautiful and diverse countryside, historic buildings, big skies and busy market towns. It is also a fast-growing economy where unemployment and crime rates are low and schools are well above average.

Because of the high quality of its farmland Lincolnshire is one of the UK’s most important agricultural areas, supporting world-class businesses in the packaging, food processing, fertilisers, agricultural machinery and distribution sectors.

Farming gave rise to a manufacturing and engineering sector which still thrives: Lincoln is home to a division of the world-class gas turbine manufacturers, Siemens and a new School of Engineering recently opened at the University of Lincoln.

To the north, Scunthorpe is an industrial centre and the UK’s third largest centre for steel making, while the Port of Grimsby and Immingham is the UK’s largest port by tonnage. North-East Lincolnshire also has one of the largest concentrations of food manufacturing, research, storage and distribution firms in Europe, while chemical processing and manufacture is another important hightech industry on the south bank of the Humber. www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

Sleaford

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

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Funeral director Funeral directors make arrangements for burials or cremations. They provide support and advice for bereaved people, in order to organise a dignified funeral.

To be a funeral director, you should have excellent communication and people skills. You should have a serious and dignified manner. You should also be able to deal sensitively with distressing situations.

Entry requirements

You may find it useful to begin as a funeral service operative. This would enable you to gain experience and knowledge of all aspects of the work, and have on-the-job training.

As a funeral service operative you may be able to study for the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) Foundation Certificate in Funeral Service. See the NAFD website for details. National Association of Funeral Directors education and training page.

The work

www.nafd.org.uk

As a funeral director, your day-to-day tasks would normally include: t

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taking details from relatives or friends of the deceased. Arranging for transfer of the body to the place of rest before the funeral meeting with relatives or friends to give advice and arrange details of the funeral. Arranging the date and time of the funeral with the church, cemetery or crematorium, organising flowers, transport and death notices advising on legal requirements and helping clients complete paperwork preparing the body for burial or cremation arranging visits to the place of rest dealing with floral tributes and charitable donations travelling in the hearse at the time of the funeral making sure that everything runs smoothly during the ceremony advising on types of memorials, such as headstones You may also give people advice about coroners’ procedures if necessary

Hours Your working hours would vary, and you could be on a rota system. Most of your administration work would be done during office hours, but you would often need to visit clients in the evenings or at weekends. You would be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Attending funerals involves being outdoors in all weather conditions.

Income Funeral directors can earn from around £15,000 to over £30,000 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

(Please note: registrations for this entry-level course are no longer being taken.

A revised short pre-entry qualification will replace the current Foundation Certificate and will be available at www.nafdqualifications.org.uk/. Check the NAFD website for further details.)

Training and development When you begin work you would usually receive on-thejob training and supervision from experienced staff.

You could also study for qualifications in funeral directing offered by the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD). The courses are at three levels: -

-

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Foundation Certificate in Funeral Service – for operatives and assistants, and funeral directors who intend to study for the Diploma in Funeral Directing Diploma in Funeral Directing (DipFD) – for funeral directors with a Foundation Certificate and a minimum of two years’ experience Diploma in Funeral Service Management (DipFSM).

The British Institute of Funeral Directors (BIFD) is responsible for providing tutors for these qualifications.

See the BIFD website for contact details of registered tutors www.bifd.org.uk/. You can study part-time or by distance learning.

Skills and knowledge To be a funeral director, you should have: t excellent communication and people skills t a serious and dignified manner t a smart appearance t the ability to deal sensitively with distressing situations t attention to detail t excellent administration and organisational abilities t an acceptance of different religious beliefs.

Case study courtesy of Lincolnshire Cooperative

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

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Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

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Recovery of the economy

What are Apprenticeships?

The timescale for the long-expected recovery of the economy continues to be uncertain as official figures released this quarter have confirmed the economy is in a double dip recession.

As employees, apprentices earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff to gain jobspecific skills. Off the job, usually on a dayrelease basis, apprentices receive training to work towards nationally recognised qualifications.

The Bank of England has downgraded its growth forecast of 1.25% for 2012. Sir Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, said that it would not be until 2014 that activity returned to its prerecession peak in 2008. ‘The recovery and rebalancing of our economy will be a long, slow process,’ he said.

Despite this, during the three months up until June, the number of people out of work stood at its lowest level in almost a year. Economists are puzzled by this anomaly. How come the number of employed is increasing while output is flat-lining? It will be interesting to see if unemployment rises as the ‘Olympic effect’ wears off.

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reveals that one in three firms are maintaining staff levels higher than they need in order to avoid losing skills; but they will make redundancies if economic growth doesn’t return soon.

For those in work the squeeze has come through pay, rather than hours. Average hourly earnings have fallen by 8% in real terms. This is likely to have an adverse knock-on effect for consumer spending and growth.

Locally, however, Lincoln has seen a surge in start-up companies in May 2012, more than any other May in the past. This year, according to business formation experts Duport, 210 companies formed, compared to 143 in May 2011. Managing Director of Duport, Peter Valaitis, said: ‘Lincoln’s had a massive May for company formations - its best ever, in fact.’

The state of the High Street is under the spotlight again with less consumers hitting the shops and no evidence of any Olympic boost to retail sales. Retail sales were down in August when we all stayed at home to enjoy the games. Richard Dodd from the British Retail Consortium told BBC News that between May and June the retail footfall was down 2% - with Scotland and London particularly badly hit.

Reed Job Index July 2012, Guardian 9 August 2012, CIPD Update 15 August, Guardian 16 August 2012, BBC 20 August 2012, ICG News 21 August 2012, Guardian 4 September 2012

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship, the apprentices’ ability and the industry sector.

Who are they for?

Apprenticeships are open to all age groups above 16 years-old whether you are just leaving school, have been working for years or are seeking to start a new career. You just need to be living in England and not taking part in full-time education.

There may be different entry requirements depending on the Apprenticeship and the industry sector. However competition for places with employers can be fierce, so you will need to show that you are committed, and aware of your responsibilities to both yourself and the company who would employ you.

Training Apprenticeships are designed with the help of the employers in the industry, so they offer a structured programme that takes you through the skills you need to do a job well. As an employee you will be in employment for most of your time as most training takes place on the job. The rest usually takes place at a local college or a specialist training organisation.

Apprenticeship Agreement An Apprenticeship Agreement is an agreement between you and an employer. The purpose of the Apprenticeship Agreement is to:t

identify the skill, trade or occupation for which you are being trained;

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confirm the qualifying Apprenticeship framework that you are following.

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reflect the fact that an Apprenticeship is primarily a job rather than training.

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Levels There are more than 250 different types of Apprenticeship ‘subjects’ available in thousabnds of different job roles.

There are three levels of Apprenticeship available: 1 - Intermediate Level Apprenticeships * Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualiďŹ cations such as a Level 2 Competence QualiďŹ cation, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualiďŹ cation.

2 - Advanced Level Apprenticeships * Apprentices work towards work-based learning such as a Level 3 Competence QualiďŹ cation, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge based qualiďŹ cation.

3 - Higher Apprenticeships * Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualiďŹ cations such as a Level 4 Competence QualiďŹ cation, Functional Skills and, in some cases, a knowledge-based qualiďŹ cation such as a Foundation Degree.

Lincolnshire apprenticeship starts continue to rise t ZFBS PMET In April of this year Lincolnshire had t ZFBS PMET 9,777 people on an apprenticeship. t

Current vacancy opportunities available on the Website in Lincolnshire.

On 15 October 2012 there were 118 live vacancies

The 3 most popular sectors for 16-18 year olds who are currently doing an apprenticeship in Lincolnshire.

1. Business administration and Law 2. Retail and commercial Enterprise 3. Health, public Services and Care

The 3 main sectors young people in Lincolnshire are looking for.

1. Business administration and Law 2. Customer Service 3. Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

In April of this year in Lincolnshire people were participating on the following levels.

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Applications submitted within Lincolnshire on the Apprenticeship Vacancies website (all ages).

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14

Challenge to graduates is to Renewable energy become employable grows fast As the class of 2012 enters the labour market, many graduates are facing the hardest task of all - finding a job. In today’s highly competitive workplace, it seems it’s no longer enough to have a good degree.

It is estimated there are at least 48 applications per graduate vacancy in the UK. And yet a recent survey by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) showed that one in three top companies were unable to fill graduate vacancies and employers cited university-leavers’ skills as a problem.

The AGR survey of graduate recruitment sought the views of more than 200 members, including Marks & Spencer, Ernst & Young, John Lewis and Procter & Gamble.

AGR Chief Executive Carl Gilleard said graduates need ‘transferable skills’ such as the ability to work in teams and communicate well. He also urged them to spend more time on their applications, covering basics such as spell-checking letters.

Developing life skills is an essential part of a graduate’s time at university. Graduate recruiters look for evidence of what skills have been developed and how they can be applied to the world of work.

The AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey 2012 - Summer Review

As living costs rise and concern for sustainable energy solutions become more important, renewable energy is becoming one of the fastest-growing manufacturing sectors.

Greater Lincolnshire has a heritage in manufacturing and engineering and retains core skills in power engineering. These traditional strengths, added to the area’s natural assets of land, coastline and a major UK port, are being harnessed to serve the growing opportunity for renewable energy in the area.

Once completed, the Port of Grimsby Enterprise Zone, will form part of the wider Enterprise Zone and the creation of a Humber Renewables Super Cluster, contributing towards the Humber LEP vision to become a national and international centre for renewable energy.

Scores of inland wind turbine farms have also been developed throughout Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire, taking advantage of the open land on offer and generating sustainable and low-cost power solutions. Other renewable initiatives include the multi-million-pound Energy from Waste plant at North Hykeham, which is in the early stages of construction. The idea is to convert general household refuse in the purposebuilt facility into energy that can be pumped into the National Grid, freeing up landfill space and powering homes and businesses. www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

Aspirations - Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Bulletin

15 NEWS IN BRIEF New £1.8 million research centre in Lincoln creates jobs Hi-tech company Dynex Semiconductor has created 40 jobs in the city. The new R&D centre is already allowing Dynex to develop new technologies and new semiconductor products that are then assembled in its neighbouring factory. There are also a number of senior executive offices, conference rooms and the main reception in the new, energy-efficient building.

Business Lincolnshire 10 August 2012

Generating jobs A Lincoln firm has won a contract worth almost £2 million to supply its products to Nigeria. Wood Group GTS, based in Sadler Park off Doddington Road, will be refurbishing three turbines for Leventis Overseas Limited.

Payroll provider Keypoint UK recently moved into a larger building in Marshall’s Yard.

The Gainsborough firm will be taking on seven new members of staff as it continues to expand.

Lincolnshire Echo 2 August 2012

Patisserie Valerie has opened in Lincoln High Street, in the unit formerly housing Blue Salamander.

It is the 57th branch for the brand and will create 25 jobs in Lincoln.

The Lincolnite 22 June 2012

Lincolnshire Echo 6 July 2012

Golf business goes with a swing

B&M Bargains in Boston

Golf firm, Ping, based in Gainsborough, has opened a new multi-million pound facility, creating 15 new jobs.

B&M Bargains is moving in to the former Kwik Save store in Boston.

Thirty new jobs will be created with the opening of the cut price retailer’s shop on June 26.

Lincolnshire Echo 20 July 2012

Firm expansion brings new jobs to Gainsborough

Sweet Treats on the High Street

Upmarket department store to open in Gainsborough Browns of York has opened its doors in Gainsborough’s Marshall’s Yard. More than 800 people applied for the 45 new jobs. The department store is in the former Carpet right showroom.

Boston Standard 6 June 2012

Office opens shop Trendy shoe shop Office, opens shop in the Waterside Shopping centre in Lincoln. Twenty new jobs created.

Lincolnshire Echo 28 June 2012

Lincolnshire Echo 16 August 2012

Packaging business expands

Who’s complaining now?!

A paper packing and printing specialist has invested £1 million in buildings and machinery, after a management buy-out last year.

Forum Packaging in Horncastle manufactures sacks and bags for a range of sectors, such as food, animal feed, pet food, chemicals and building materials.

Up to 40 new jobs will be created following the opening of a new call centre in Nettleham. Complaint Handling Services has opened a site on the Deepdale Enterprise Park in June, and initially employed 20 people.

Business Lincolnshire 27 July 2012

Lincolnshire Echo 13 July 2012

Poundland replaces M&S in Skegness

Six new jobs were created when a new card shop opened in Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough. The Card Factory’s arrival will partly offset the loss of the town centre branch of Clinton Cards after the chain went into administration.

Around 20 new jobs will be created in Skegness when discount retailer Poundland will be opening a new shop in August. The shop will be situated in the premises formerly occupied by Marks and Spencer in the town, on Lumley Road.

Gainsborough Target 6 July 2012

East Coast Target 21 June 2012

Celebrate with a card

National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates frozen The recommendations of the Low Pay Commission have been accepted by the Government.

Accordingly, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for 16-17 year olds and 18-20 year olds will be frozen. However, the adult rate of NMW will increase from £6.08 per hour to £6.19 per hour and the apprentice rate will increase from £2.60 per hour to £2.65 per hour from 1 October 2012 (although both these increases are below inflation).

The National Minimum Wage is the minimum pay per hour almost all workers are entitled to by law.

Many employers pay much more than this.

National Minimum Wage, Low Pay Commission Report 2012, March 2012

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Solar farm trebles in size A solar farm near Stow will be expanding the size of its farm in order to add more solar panels to the land.

Freewatt Energies wants to add 8,300 new panels to the farm, which will mean that the farm will expand by 15 acres. The move will cost around £2.5 million, but produce a further 2MW of power to add to the existing 1.14MW. Recently, the company which employs 24 people has been responsible for 5MW of installations in 600 locations around the county, enough to power 1,000 homes and save 2,300 tonnes of CO2.

Double intake of apprenticeships

Business Lincolnshire 10 August 2012

Siemens Lincoln took on 44 apprentices this year as part of a national scheme - more than double the usual intake.

Proposal to build a state-of-the-art science and technology park in Lincoln Bagel company on a roll The Lincolnite 29 August 2012

There are plans for the development of a science park on 10 acres of disused land, owned by Lincolnshire Co-op, in the west of the city on Green Lane. The park will provide space for both scientific commercial enterprises and a number of University of Lincoln courses. The science park will attract technology business from fields such as pharmaceutical science and biotechnology, to industrial development and engineering. The first phase of the park is expected to be completed in 2013.

The Lincoln Bagel Company, owned and run by the Otley family, opened 6 August. Using Lincolnshire ingredients, they promise to work with local food suppliers like Elite Meats.

The Lincolnite 27 July 2012

Business Lincolnshire 3 August 2012

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Teeninfolincs

If you like what you’ve read in Aspirations you really ought to look at tee ninfolincs. co.uk. on our website. It tells you everything you need to know about the labour market in Lincolnshire.

It’s aimed at young people, parents and car ers, teachers, employers and advisers. In fac t anyone who is interested in the local labou r market.

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Looking for information ab the economy of Lincolnshirout e?

exc areer ite: w s elle w nt r .nhs is w. eso a urc n e.

Established in December 1999 , the Lincolnshire Research Obser vatory (LRO) is a partnership of organisation s across the county who aim to share and improve access to quality information and intelligence about Lincolnshir e.

Through the LRO website No tG you can access intelligence No oin t gT on the population, health, to h Going oU e t o l the economy and many Uni info ping ni? ? y r other topics. the med d oung p is ded ir ic e e opp futur cision ople ated e m s o of t rtunit by sho abou ake t he win tr ies t rou te s aditio hat ex g the nal ist o uch fou u n u voc dation as app nivers tside i r atio t d e y nt eg yea n rs, al trai rees, d iceship ning volu spon s, iplo , and nteerin sored gap mas, j g, d degr www obs. ista e .not nce es, goin lear gtou ning ni.c o

http://www.research-lincs.org.uk/

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At the start of your journey it’s impossible to know how many twists and turns your job-roles will take

19

Many thanks to Will and Jeff from Lincolnshire Co-operative for sharing their career paths

Turning broadband ‘not-spots’ into ‘hot-spots’ Making the broadband connection

A county council-led project is making sure Lincolnshire is not left behind as we move into the digital age.

It’s hard to imagine life without the Internet – no Google, no Facebook, no eBay. Yet in some parts of Lincolnshire, what many of us now take for granted remains out of reach.

That's why Lincolnshire County Council is helping to roll out ďŹ rst-class broadband across the county over the next few years.

The Onlincolnshire project will bring superfast broadband to at least 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the county by 2015. And the remaining 10 per cent won’t miss out either – they’ll be upgraded to standard broadband at the same time.

Superfast broadband is three to four times quicker than the current average speed for the UK.

Show your support!

Back Onlincolnshire to show suppliers we want better broadband.

Online at www.onlincolnshire.org O B By calling 01522 782066 A At your local library

Councillor Kelly Smith, Executive Member for Finance and HR at Lincolnshire County Council, said:

“Good Internet access is a vital part of our children’s

from. Whether they’re researching projects, revising for exams, or preparing to be tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, the Internet is a resource that cannot be ignored.�

Produced in partnership by Lincolnshire County Council working with CfBT, Lincolnshire & Rutland Employment and Skills Board and the Work Based Academy.

Reference LCC226 Published Nov 2012

The next edition of Aspirations will be published in March 2013. Please let us know what you would like to be included. If you have any information you would liked featured contact the editor: mike.manson@redbridgesolutions.co.uk