Skills, talent, labour, recruitment, retention – these are all buzzwords used by business leaders to describe the engines that power their companies. In other words, it’s the people they employ.
Right now, people are front and centre of minds. They are becoming a scarce resource for firms of all shapes, sizes and sectors –driving up costs to employ them, restricting capacity and holding back growth.
It’s for this reason the Chamber is placing a large emphasis on people and skills via our business support and policy activity right now.
For more than a decade, acute shortages in labour and skills – that is, people – have shone through as persistent blockers for businesses in our Quarterly Economic Survey, but the problem has been exacerbated over the past 18 months during the post-Covid era in w hich a cost-of-doing-business crisis has also emerged.
Economic inactivity has become the new watchword amid a significant rise in the number of working-age people leaving the labour market for reasons such as ill health, early retirement and caring responsibilities.
The Learning & Work Institute calls these people the “missing workers” and has set out a series of policies for Government to tackle th e issue. This is represented on the front cover in this edition of Business Network, while our focus feature (p50) delves deeper into the topic – along with commentary from the worlds of work and education about how businesses can support the existing and future workforce.
Skills shortages occupied much of Nicky Morgan’s time in Parliament when she was Education Secretary from 2014 to 2016. The former Loughborough MP and life peer continues to be deeply involved in the issue as chair of The Careers and Enterprise Company – which, as she explains in our big interview (p21), is helping to bring businesses closer together with education and training providers.
Baroness Morgan is one of the key speakers at the Chamber’s East Midlands People and Skills Summit, which takes place on Thursday 8 June. There ’s still time to register at bit.ly/EMCPeopleSkills23
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Former pupils of a Derbyshire secondary school returned to their old stomping ground to take part in its first-ever careers fair.
Peter Ellse DL – founder of award-winning ethical early years equipment provider Cosy – and Sharon StevensCash, owner of Derby-based digital marketing company Gravity Digital, took part in the event at John Flamsteed Community School, in Denby. Along with several other local businesses, training providers and further education establishments, the pair spoke to year nine and year 10 pupils about their business, and possible career paths for the students.
Peter, who was at the school with wife Amanda, said: “It was great to be a part of such a brilliant event. The pupils were bright, keen and able.”
• Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan explains why it’s crucial for businesses to engage with education in the big interview – p21
One of Nottinghamshire’s most historic and luxurious hotels had an influx of new faces as students from West Nottinghamshire College took over the kitchens, bars, spa, gym and restaurants.
This “hotel takeover” was part of an annual scheme for students to gain real-life work experience at the four-star Thoresby Hall Hotel and Spa.
Over the course of a week, more than 40 catering, hospitality, beauty therapy and sports students from the college immersed themselves in jobs, mentored by the hotel’s team
The University of Derby has been ranked in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers for the first time.
It joins a number of construction firms and legal, health, finance and education providers in the list, which is compiled by Europe’s largest charity for LGBTQ+ rights to recognise employers that support employees to be themselves at work.
The institution also received the Stonewall Gold Employer Award for the second year running.
Over the past year, the university has run a variety of campaigns and initiatives to help raise LGBTQ+ awareness among its employees, and to promote an inclusive environment across its campuses in Derby, Buxton and Chesterfield.
These include mentoring and coaching programmes, staff training, and development of its
LGBT+ Allies staff network.
Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE
DL, vice-chancellor of the University of Derby, said: “The Top 100 ranking and the Gold Employer Award reflect the work we have done to emphasise our commitment to inclusion, and demonstrate that our university is a safe and inclusive environment for our staff and students to work and study.”
of supervisors and team leaders in various departments within the 221bed hotel.
Taking on a range of hospitality roles, students gained valuable, practical experience of working within a large, fully-operational hotel to complement their collegebased training.
The learners are enrolled on courses such as the advanced diploma in professional cookery, advanced diploma in hospitality supervision and leadership, and intermediate diploma in food and beverage service. They took up
positions including chefs, front-ofhouse staff, housekeepers and grounds maintenance operatives to provide them with additional skills in the industry, as well as inspiration for their future career choices.
They were joined by students on the Level 3 beauty therapy programme, the advanced foundation diploma in sports, and the advanced introductory diploma in travel and tourism, who had experience in the hotel spa, pool and entertainment theatre respectively.
Thoresby Hall Hotel general
A ranger who patrols Derby’s streets welcoming visitors and supporting local businesses is retiring after more than a decade of service.
Dave Wilson, 59, is one half of the team serving the St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) and has become a familiar face on Derby’s streets. Now the former police constable is hanging up his boots to enjoy what he says will be “a slower pace of life with his family”.
Dave has been one of two rangers in the St Peters Quarter BID for more than 10 years. With his colleague Nikki Matthews, they work closely with other rangers in the Cathedral Quarter BID area of the city centre.
He said: “I have loved being a ranger in Derby. It has been the most rewarding job and I have met some truly wonderful people.
“From the moment you start your day, you feel a huge sense of responsibility to support all the businesses and shoppers in your area. It has meant so much to me to be able to help them.”
Ranger Dave, Nikki and his Cathedral Quarter colleagues, Scott Harris and Jon McKenzie, each walk about 10 miles a day and clock up thousands of hours patrolling the city. They are trained in first aid, and are issued with body-worn video equipment and radios for their own protection, but this can also sometimes provide additional vital information when working with agencies including the police.
manager Claire Fletcher said: “It was a pleasure to welcome back West Nottinghamshire College to provide its students with an opportunity to gain experience of working in a real-life environment, among a warm and supportive team, so they can really understand what it feels like to work in the hospitality industry.
“Investing in the students is an investment in the future of hospitality, and we’re pleased to say we’ve recruited several of the students who will be working with us part time alongside their studies.”
Nottingham-based alternative refuelling infrastructure provider Roadgas has been acquired by Mercuria Clean Energy Investments and Pretoria Energy Group.
Roadgas owns and operates several bio-compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquified natural gas (LNG) stations in the UK, and the acquisition will offer a new gas-fuelling partner to fleet managers working to decarbonise operations.
The company, which will continue to be known as Roadgas, offers customers a fully-integrated package to decarbonise their fleets – building bespoke, on-site fuelling solutions with UK-produced biomethane.
Its build and operational capability will be bolstered by the financial and trading power of Mercuria, and the certainty of supply of UK-produced waste-based biomethane from Pretoria.
Roadgas managing director David Rix said: “Working with Mercuria and Pretoria will allow us to fulfil the expansion plans we’ve had for the company since 2018. Through knowledge transfer and sharing of best practices, the newly-expanded business will provide an end-to-end solution for fleet owners and managers.”
James Cooper, Mercuria’s head of European origination, environmental products, added: “Combining biomethane supply from Pretoria with Roadgas’ experience and reputation for design, engineering and operation of LNG and CNG refuelling stations will provide a much more transparent solution for UK truck and bus operators looking to follow their fuels’ journey from feedstock to pump.”
Nelsons has been acquired by private equity-backed Lawfront in a deal that will double the size of the law firm.
The transaction was announced to the Nelsons team on the firm’s 40th anniversary, along with news that it would be “business as usual” for clients, with all staff retained.
This is the fourth acquisition in the past 12 months for Lawfront, which is backed by London-based Blixt Group, taking its revenue to more than £45m.
Nelsons CEO Stewart Vandermark said: “It was clear early on that Lawfront was a great fit for Nelsons, bringing greater opportunities for all our colleagues and enhancing the services we can offer to our clients.
“Nelsons has consistently achieved excellent results and we wanted to remain at the forefront of the consolidating legal market – joining Lawfront ensures that for our ambitious team.”
Nelsons has multiple Tier One rankings in The Legal 500, and has made its debut in The Times’ Top 250 law firms list for its personal injury and clinical negligence expertise.
The new owner said the move would significantly accelerate Nelson’s growth strategy in the East Midlands, from its offices in Leicester, Nottingham and Derby.
Neil Lloyd, Lawfront CEO, said: “Nelsons is an excellent law firm, with a reputation for quality legal advice. Vitally, it is closely aligned with Lawfront culture, focusing on retaining the very best people in the profession to deliver the very best service to our clients. We enter the East Midlands with a highperformance, ambitious team that will allow us to grow strongly in the region, both organically and through further acquisitions.”
Derby-based ParentShield has become the first mobile network to instantly notify parents if their child starts communicating with a new correspondent on their mobile phone.
The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) has created waves by re-defining the mobile network from a parent’s point of view.
The new alerts are sent via push notification to parents via the company's new Progressive Web App, and covers both telephone calls and SMS messages.
This allows parents to keep track of who their children are communicating with, and to take action if they feel the need to. The alerts go out in real time so parents can act immediately should they have any cause for concern.
Chief marketing officer Paul Stevenson said: “Customers have been telling us they like how ParentShield has given them the ability to know if their child has struck up a
Trentbarton is offering an uncapped number of new engineering apprenticeships.
The bus operator normally takes on about five apprentices each year, but this year there is no limit on the number, and it invited potential applicants to an open day last month at its Langley Mill site.
Group engineering director John Bickerton said: “We know there are lots of young people thinking about what they want to do after school or college and we want to give a great opportunity to as many of them as we possibly can.
“We want the 2023 intake to be the biggest yet and to help them thrive in their new career as they learn the trade while being paid. Many senior people in the bus industry started out as engineering apprentices, so they can aim high.”
Current apprentice technician
Vince Hourd started his apprenticeship in 2019 and is now just months away from completing his qualification.
Vince, 20, who lives in Derby, said: “I like how each day is different and we’ve been learning so many different skills. You also see a lot of former apprentices here who have moved up and done well.”
conversation with an unfamiliar person.
“We took this and made it even easier so that parents can relax – knowing that they will receive regular automatic alerts direct to their phone in real time.”
The service is available free of charge to all ParentShield customers, and the new push alert features can be set to alert on different activities that the phone makes.
ParentShield CEO Graham Tyers added: “We understand that parents want to keep their children safe, and this service helps them do just that. Our goal is to provide parents with the peace of mind that their children are safe while using their mobile phones.”
Mental health awareness should be a constant consideration for businesses, especially if they wish to avoid discrimination complaints, says an employment law expert at Smith Partnership.
With a rise in staff working remotely, Alexandra Bullmore, a solicitor at the Derbyshire firm, has urged businesses to consider how they cater to the emotional wellbeing of those not in the office.
“The proportion of workers in the UK who work from home was relatively low until the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
“However, since then, the numbers have grown, and there has been an increase in hybrid working.
“Employees may find it difficult to separate work and home life when working from home, causing more stress. It is important to establish the boundaries of working time and to ensure adequate rest breaks are taken, such as confirming whether employees are taking their dedicated lunch breaks.”
Alexandra said homeworking is believed to have an impact on some people’s mental health, citing a survey carried out by the Royal Society for Public Health states that 67% of people who work from home said that they felt less connected to their colleagues and 56% said they found it harder to switch off.
“Employers should consider steps to provide appropriate supervision, monitor any work, hours, and stress levels of employees,” she added.
According to a Trades Union Congress poll published in 2021, nine in 10 disabled workers who worked from home during the pandemic want to continue doing so at least some of the time.
However, one-third who worked from home said they lacked proper
office equipment such as a desk, chair or computer.
Alexandra added: “When it comes to disability discrimination, the employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments in relation to a disabled person.
“Reasonable adjustments may include allowing the individual to have more rest breaks – even allowing them to work from home could be a reasonable adjustment itself.”
“We understand that parents want to keep their children safe, and this service helps them do just that’Alexandra Bullmore
Two iconic Nottingham institutions are joining forces to form a unique international partnership designed to support the city’s business growth, investment and global profile.
The collaboration between the University of Nottingham and fashion designer Paul Smith will capitalise on the international reputation of both organisations to fly the flag for the city overseas.
The two partners have particular influence in Asia, where the university has campuses in Malaysia and China, and Paul Smith has a significant presence including a number of stores across China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Paul Smith said: “Growing up in Beeston, my father was a keen amateur photographer. I very vividly remember a photograph he took of the original University of Nottingham campus midconstruction.
“Having a university in the city
I grew up in was always something I was very aware and proud of, so it’s really exciting for me to be launching this partnership between what I consider to be two quintessentially Nottingham organisations that are now known for their excellence around the world.”
To mark the start of the partnership, Paul Smith has launched an exclusive collection of University of Nottingham merchandise, which pays tribute to his connection to his hometown and features the company’s striped design alongside a stylised depiction of the university’s iconic Trent Building.
Alex Favier, director of global reputation and relations at the University of Nottingham, said: “The university has worked with more than 100 businesses, local authorities and third-sector partners to help tell the story of a pioneering, creative and innovative Nottingham to a wider audience.
“The launch of the Paul Smith for the University of Nottingham collection is underpinned by the same desire from both partners to use their global reach and reputation to help promote our city, county and its businesses to a global audience.”
entrepreneur’s help Scientific research at the University of Nottingham is set to benefit from industry expertise with the appointment of a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence.
Martin Whitaker (pictured) will support the Faculty of Science Innovation Hub project, which will provide a focus for helping academic staff to engage with industry and the commercialisation of research.
Martin is one of 20 entrepreneurs, senior scientists and business leaders from 19 universities and institutions who have been awarded a place on the Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence scheme. He will work with the university’s team to generate an entrepreneurial culture across the Faculty of Science, leading to increased levels of intellectual property innovation and industry relevant skills.
Martin said: “There is an urgent need in both industry and academia for individuals who possess the skills needed to turn research into successful business. I will aim to help researchers do that.”
Derby-based App4 has joined forces with Deliverect to offer an integrated online food management system.
In the new partnership, App4 will build an online food management platform that integrates with a restaurant’s electronic point-of-sale (POS) system via Deliverect, which connects third-party ordering platforms and food businesses around the world.
Since being founded by CEO Ian Chambers in 2014, App4 has helped more than 1,000 food service venues to minimise their costs, maximise their profitability and take full control of all aspects of online and in-store ordering and delivery.
Ian said: “After working hard over the past few months to develop and rigorously test the software integration, we are delighted to launch the new partnership with Deliverect.
“This means that App4 is now available to all Deliverect users with some 32,000 restaurants around the world having adopted their system.”
The announcement comes on the back of the recent expansion of the App4 product range, in which it launched a new range of self-service ordering kiosks earlier this year.
The kiosks offer a practical, cost-effective and efficient way for hospitality businesses to reduce customer waiting times, and have already been adopted by several businesses including Derbyshire-based George’s Tradition.
A Castle Donington-based IT firm is celebrating signing up its 100th client as the company banks its most successful year.
True MSP has signed a deal to provide IT support services to Nottingham-based DSL, a family run firm that supplies branded products to supermarkets and convenience stores.
The contract with DSL coincides with a record turnover for the tech firm as annual sales since April 2022 have exceeded £1.5m.
Co-founded by Tim Rookes and Neil Shaw in 2017, True MSP provides business IT support services such as cyber security and hardware management to a wide range of clients from accountancy firms to construction companies.
The founders, who met while working for another managed service provider (MSP) in the IT sector, agreed at the outset that True MSP would always place customer service excellence ahead of sales and profit.
Having amassed 40 clients by the time it was only a year old, True MSP has continued to grow by about 50% year-on-year to a point where it has now clocked up its century of clients.
Tim said: “Signing our hundredth client was a huge milestone for us. It really is a dream come true.
“And to have smashed our turnover record yet again –reaching a level that is way ahead
Derby-based Nowcomm has been acquired by digital transformation and customer experience expert FourNet.
Nowcomm, which is one of only two Cisco Gold, Master Security and Master Collaboration-accredited partners in the UK, will enhance FourNet’s cyber security and network infrastructure offering to its customers.
It was founded 18 years ago by previous Cisco employees Mark Lamont and James Baly, who saw a gap in the market for a consultative-led Cisco business, focused on engineering and technology.
Now with 34 accredited employees, its integration into FourNet brings the larger company’s headcount to more than 200.
James said: “This is a merging of like-minded businesses. Our companies are both at the top of their game, and have a very similar culture and outlook – customers first, high customer retention, technology and engineering innovation, and best-in-class expertise.”
Richard Pennington, co-founder and CEO of FourNet, added: “As one of the leading Cisco partners in the UK, Nowcomm brings a wealth of specialist skills and expertise, which will enable us to provide a significantly enhanced cyber security, networking and collaboration offering to our customers.”
of anything we envisaged six years ago –means our focus on clients rather than money was definitely the right thing to do.”
Edward Chary, managing director of DSL Group, added: “I have been really impressed with how quickly True MSP has picked up on what we require, tightened our processes, secured our systems and saved us a considerable amount of money.”
MTMS has underlined its commitment to promoting wellbeing in the industry by appointing its first mental health first-aider.
The Swadlincote-based rail depot maintenance firm has appointed Nicky Johnson (pictured) to the role, the first of three mental health first-aider posts it intends to create this year.
Nicky’s training coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week last month, while the company has also signed up to the Railway Mental Health Charter, set up to promote, manage and support workforce mental wellbeing.
She said: “I’m usually the kind of person who gets on with things, so the training was a real eye-opener about how things that we might expect people to be able to brush off can have a significant effect on them.
“My role isn’t there to offer advice – I listen and show them understanding before signposting them to services that might be able to help.”
Nottingham-based EMEC has been appointed on a nationwide project to survey UK peatlands as part of The England Peat Map (EPM) project.
The ecology, land management and arboriculture consultancy has been sub-contracted by Fera Science – formerly the Food and Environment Research Agency – to deliver the majority of field surveys, which will comprise more than 2,400 vegetation and 900 soil field surveys across England.
EMEC will also lead a network of other wildlife trust consultancies, which will co-operate to meet the national scope of the project.
The EPM project is part of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme, which runs until 2024 with the intention of providing new evidence to support a range of uses, including restoring peatlands and reporting on peatland carbon emissions.
Ed Tripp, consultancy director at EMEC, said: “Healthy peatland has a cooling effect on the climate as peat captures carbon from the atmosphere and stores it underground. Knowing where the peat is, and its condition, will help conservationists identify areas for future restoration and protection.
“Working with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to restore peatland will be a considerable step towards reaching 2050 targets.”
Nottingham Venues has been selected to host the UDine Awards later this month.
The UDine Awards is a joint initiative between Inside Foodservice and University Hospitality Seminars, celebrating excellence in the university hospitality sector.
About 130 people will attend the event at Nottingham Venues’ Orchard Hotel on Tuesday 20 June. It will be hosted by celebrity chef, restaurateur and TV personality Simon Rimmer. Prior to the awards, UDine and Nottingham Venues will host an afternoon of networking and a series of seminars where leaders within the industry can discuss sector issues and share best practice.
In addition to hosting the event, Nottingham Venues has put the Orchard Hotel forward for the University Hotel Award.
Located within the University of Nottingham’s main campus, the four-star, eco-friendly hotel comprises 202 bedrooms, six meeting rooms, a restaurant and welcomes thousands of business and leisure guests each year.
Tom Waldron-Lynch, general manager of Nottingham Venues, said: “Over the past year, the Nottingham Venues team has been focused on putting our venues on the map in terms of the quality of provision we can offer industry award organisers.”
A business that provides a range of allergy, intolerance and health tests to customers is celebrating after winning a prestigious national award.
Test Your Intolerance, a brand of Castle Doningtonbased Healthy Stuff, was named the Intolerance Testing Company of the Year at the UK Enterprise Awards 2023.
The awards recognise market leaders, innovators and enterprising SMEs thriving among national competition.
The accolade strengthens the firm’s position as a leading allergy and food intolerance testing company, and comes on the back of record sales. In January 2023, it processed 12,912 tests compared to 6,385 a year earlier.
Cris West, who runs Test Your Intolerance with business partner Jason Wootton, said: “This accolade is proof that we are leaving our competitors behind by offering unrivalled science, service and results.”
The restoration of the Chesterfield Canal will take a leap forward after a donation of clay from real estate developer Suon.
The 160,000 cubic-metre clay donation will be used to rebuild the 800-metre-long section of the historic Staveley Puddlebank.
The clay is currently at Suon’s site in Foxlow, and is on land owned by the Chatsworth Settlement, which has waived the right to royalties for the donation.
The Chesterfield Canal Trust, which promotes the full restoration and appropriate development of the 46-mile canal, is leading the £5.3m project, which is supported by the Staveley Town Deal.
An all-day party to celebrate the history of Sadler Gate returns to Derby this summer – after last year’s event attracted hundreds of visitors.
Live music, dance performances and face painting are just some of the activities people can enjoy at the Celebrate Sadler Gate event on Saturday 1 July.
The Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) is working with many of Sadler Gate’s resident businesses to create a day of fun to mark everything they have achieved on the historic city centre street.
Several free activities have been funded by the BID for the day,
including historical walks hosted by former Most Haunted star and Derby ghost expert Richard Felix, which will explore the background and history of Sadler Gate.
Brad Worley, BID manager for Cathedral Quarter, said the reason the BID wants to showcase its tight knit, supportive community – and shine a light on Derby’s businesses.
He said: “The BID wanted to celebrate the uniqueness of Sadler Gate and create an event that welcomes visitors to the area.
“We already know that a number of well-known and loved independents will be turning out to entertain shoppers with a host of activities.”
The trust’s development manager George Rogers said:
“Purchasing and transporting suitable materials from other sources would be prohibitively expensive and cause untold disturbance to the local population.
“Without this incredibly
generous donation, the project simply couldn’t proceed in its current form and so the trust is very grateful for the support and generosity of Suon and Chatsworth. We look forward to continuing our long history of working together to enable the restoration of the canal.”
The Air and Space Institute (ASI) has partnered with the Sherwood Observatory to inspire the next generation with STEM education.
The Sherwood Observatory has secured £3.1m from the second round of the Levelling Up Fund to build a new science discovery centre and planetarium.
The aim is to provide young people access to cutting-edge STEM facilities, creating opportunities and encouraging them to pursue engineering pathways.
The partnership between ASI and the Sherwood Observatory means students at the institute will have access to the observatory's state-ofthe-art facilities, enriching their learning experience.
The planetarium will offer an immersive learning experience, allowing students to explore the wonders of space and get them enthused about the aerospace sector.
Tom Marsden, director of strategic growth at the ASI, said: “Alongside the ASI, this facility will improve the educational opportunities for Newark and Sherwood students, adults and school children. It will also assist the region in generating broader business partnerships with those companies working in the rapidly growing UK space sector and its supply chain.”
‘The trust is very grateful for the support and generosity of Suon and Chatsworth’Clay in Foxlow
Tell us what your company does and a brief overview of its history?
Laughtercise delivers fun team-building and wellbeing sessions to organisations to help them boost employee wellbeing.
Our sessions include unique energising activities, timed team challenges and exhilarating competitive games – all designed to get teams smiling and laughing naturally. I started Laughtercise in May 2020 to get the best out of myself, as I love getting people playing games.
Who are your main customers and what is your USP to them?
We deliver team-building sessions nationally to the NHS, and we’ve delivered sessions to more than 34,000 NHS staff. We’ve helped trusts give their staff a great dose of wellbeing.
We work with Amazon nationally, which we enjoy as the teams are very competitive with our games. We also deliver sessions for business away days and conferences, and work with My Online Schooling to deliver wellbeing sessions to children globally.
We’ve taken the best team-building activities, combined them with other activities, put our own spin on them, and created something unique that is unmatched.
What is your position in the business and what does your day-to-day role involve?
I run the business and deliver sessions. I am partnered up with Harriet, who also delivers sessions and produces our marketing material.
Two directors and longstanding staff members at full-service marketing agency Cartwright Communications have taken equity shares in the company.
Annie Brafield, who has been with the agency for nearly a decade, and Rose Hayes, who joined in 2016, have both been made shareholding directors.
Managing director Liz Cartwright said: “Since being made company directors in 2021, both Annie and Rose have played a crucial role in supporting me to drive business growth and shape our plans for the future, and I am thrilled they have taken shares in the company.”
The move marks the next phase in the agency’s plans for growth following the successful launch of new service lines, as well as offices in both Birmingham and London during the past 18 months.
Annie is the agency’s longest standing team member and was made a company director just weeks before heading off on her second maternity leave. She said: “Growing our own talent is vital to the success of the agency and is part of having a clear team culture. I am the perfect example of the opportunity for development that is open to all employees.
“I started here as an account manager and have risen through the business into an equity
Day to day, we could be in London delivering a session for Amazon, on a ward in the NHS delivering a session for a team or doing admin at home.
What challenges have you faced in recent times and how have you tried to overcome them?
I am still investing into start-up costs, including marketing, website and SEO, so it’s a huge challenge to keep investing – while paying a mortgage and feeding a toddler!
I work in a local pub at weekends and my wife works hard too. The hustle is worth it, and turnover is increasing, but I definitely underestimated how long it took to establish a business.
What are the company’s plans for the future?
We want to spread as many smiles and laughs as possible, and work with more businesses and organisations nationally and globally. We want to hit the 40,000 mark for NHS staff who have been engaged in one of our sessions.
How long have you been a member of the East Midlands Chamber, and how have you engaged with the membership benefits to support your business activity?
We’ve been members for two years. We run sessions for the Chamber, which have gone down a trea t. It’s also great to network with other small business owners at networking events.
Location: Derby
Number of employees: One, as well as a partnership with another sole trader
Spokesperson: Aaron Betesta, owner
In April, the Chamber welcomed 25 new members:
• Burghley Retirement Living –Albany Lodge
• The Anderson Partnership
• Baseline Recruitment Ltd
• Black Apricot Creative
• Bond Street Distillery
• CPM Pipe Work Services Ltd
• CRS Matrix Ltd
• Greenarc Vehicles Ltd
• Hawkish Group Ltd
• HMP Fosse Way (Serco)
• KryptoKloud
• Beu Cosmetics Ltd
• Mosaic Business Growth
• OSI
• Peak District National Park Authority
• Peak Sleep
• Rosie May Foundation
director position, and couldn’t be more proud to say that. I am grateful to Liz for the opportunities she has given me during the past 10 years and support in taking on this new challenge alongside Rose.”
Rose, formerly head of PR at the agency, added: “Both Annie and I are passionate about the business and recognise the significance of being granted shares in an agency that Liz has grown from a team of one to over 30 in three locations.”
• Sara Jane Boyle
• S&D Roofing Ltd
• Stage Left Lux
• The Stoneygate Eye Hospital
• Tori Murphy Ltd (International)
• Watcal Property Services Ltd
• Liz Hobbs Group
• Aspire Pharma
The rise in the national living wage by almost 10% to £10.42 should be seen as an opportunity for businesses to review recruitment systems, believes a recruitment agency.
Sky Recruitment Solutions, which has offices in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, has emphasised the importance of offering higher wages for employees amid the cost-of-living crisis and a tight labour market.
Business support manager Hannah Blount said: “By offering higher wages, businesses can maintain a competitive standing in the current candidate-driven recruitment market.
“The national living wage rise also helps businesses that are looking to grow this year, as recent enquiries show there is little to no difference in job-seeking and hiring efforts following these annual changes.
Blueprint Interiors welcomed 15 students and a teacher from The Lancaster Academy in Leicester to its offices in Ashby de la Zouch to give them a taste of a workplace.
It was the final part of the school’s READY programme –which stands for respect, employability, accountability, diversity and young ambassadors –to prepare pupils for the world of work by developing them in these areas. The school devotes one day every half term to career activities.
“Likewise, research shows that raising salaries for existing staff positively influences employee wellbeing, which in turn increases productivity and job satisfaction. So, while business margins may take a minor hit, this will be short-lived and paid back in the long run by greater staff retention.”
She urged firms to use the coming months to evaluate their operations to reduce inefficiencies in order to offset rising people costs.
“Rather than seeing the national living wage increase as a period of uncertainty, businesses can adopt strategies to use this change as a chance to invest in their employees and improve operations,” added Hannah, whose company is offering businesses a free analysis of their recruitment costs and productivity to identify where they can save money.”
Nottingham City Transport has joined the bus industry elite after being accepted into a national scheme recognising operators that demonstrate their commitment to compliance and adherence to safety standards.
The DVSA Earned Recognition Scheme enables organisations with lorries, buses and coaches to prove they meet stringent driver and vehicle standards.
Organisations need to show they have robust systems and processes in place that continuously monitor performance, promote effective and proactive transport management, and are fully compliant with vehicle and road safety standards.
Achieving earned recognition status has been a year-long project across NCT, led by operational compliance manager Natalie Monaghan-Smith.
She said: “Having worked on the earned recognition project for nearly a year, ensuring all of our policies, procedures and systems are up to date and in line with the national standards, I am very pleased all the hard work has paid off.”
The students spent a full day taking part in activities at the workplace consultant and interior fit-out specialist’s office, known as “WorkLife Central", and met with teams from each department, including projects, design, administration, finance and sales.
Blueprint Interiors chairman and founder Rob Day said: “Many young people reach the working world without an understanding of how businesses operate and network. This is where this project really helps to provide workplace experiences before they even leave school. It was brilliant to see the group’s creativity, problem-solving skills, and work ethic.”
Two Derby businessmen have joined forces to launch the city’s first road racing team – with the aim of inspiring everyone to get on their bikes.
Dean Jackson, founder of HUUB, and Webuycycle director Paul Martin hope the new Derby City Cycling (DCC) team will help turn the city into a Mecca for cyclists, encouraging events and further investment.
The team is headed by riders Adam Kenway and Josh Housley, who compete at a national level, alongside cyclists Ewan Mackie, Ollie Snodden and Otto Chilton.
But their goal goes beyond winning races as they aim to establish Derby as a city of cycling with first-rate facilities and the capacity to stage unique cycling events.
‘Raising salaries for existing staff positively influences employee well-being’
Peak Translations has pledged to donate 5% of profits from projects relating to environmental sustainability to a conservation charity.
The Derbyshire-based company, which provides translation services to help businesses communicate their marketing and technical messages to foreign audiences, will support World Land Trust.
World Land Trust helps people across the world protect and restore their land to safeguard biodiversity and the climate.
Managing director Helen Provart said: “We want to do our bit to help protect the environment and reduce emissions, and we also want to help other companies to promote sustainability too.”
Derbyshire Voluntary Action (DVA) will deliver inclusive forums to support the transformation of mental health services across the county.
The organisation is partnering with Erewash Voluntary Action (EVA), High Peak CVS and Derbyshire Dales CVS, and Place Alliance to deliver the service, called Living Well Collaboratives.
It aims to develop a shared understanding of the needs of people using mental health services in Derbyshire via face-to-face and virtual meetings supported by local co-ordinators.
The partners in each area will ensure that people with lived experiences, as well as the voluntary sector and mental health professionals, come together to improve access to multidisciplinary support by creating new community-based initiatives for adults in need.
Jacqui Willis (pictured), chief executive of DVA, said: “We are excited to bring local people with lived experience, carers, voluntary and community sector, mental health services, frontline health and care professionals, and system leaders together to be change makers.”
West Nottinghamshire College is launching a range of free courses for adults in Nottinghamshire to boost their numeracy skills.
Multiply is a new Governmentfunded programme designed to help adults to improve their maths knowledge and skills. This could assist with progress at work, new job opportunities or taking advanced levels of training, managing their money better or simply helping their children with maths schoolwork.
Adults in the Nottinghamshire area can take advantage of flexible free courses being offered by the college, which include sessions on making your money go further, improving confidence with numeracy, maths for those whose first language isn’t English, flexible maths study and social sessions offering fun maths-based activities with refreshments.
The same modules can be tailored for employers in the county to help upskill their workforce in maths.
Cancer Support over a year’s worth of fundraising activities.
The travel management company has undertaken multiple activities to reach its target since April 2022, with employees taking part in “brave the shave”, bake sales, sweep stakes and Tough Mudder and marathon challenges.
It also established a “couch to 5K” running club where participants donated their membership fees, an on-site car valeting service, “auction of promises” in which employees showcased their talents in exchange for donations, and a fashion show.
was held to mark the cumulation of the fundraising campaign.
Kirsty Given, director of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Agiito, said: “The past year has showcased how ingenious and creative our people can be with new, fun ways to generate funds. Everyone has got involved and it has pushed a lot of people out of their comfort zone.
“This is the first time we have attempted a charity partnership with an ambitious £10,000 target. So, to not only meet it, but beat it, is overwhelming and inspires us to keep going with our new charity partner.”
The University of Nottingham’s faculty of engineering has donated a research ambulance and medical supplies to Ambulance Aid, supporting those living in Ukraine.
Nineteen medical oxygen concentrators, which produce a continuous supply of oxygen and negate the need for regular bottled gas deliveries, were donated by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and loaded into the ambulance, with 30 more to follow.
Professor of bioengineering
Donal McNally, who co-ordinated the donation, said: “We used the ambulance as a testbed for
technologies to make transporting very premature babies less stressful and safer. Now this project is over, it is fantastic it is going to continue saving lives and I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to this incredibly important cause.”
Launched in March 2022, Ambulance Aid’s mission is to fund the purchase of former ambulances and deliver them in partnership with Medical Aid Ukraine to where they are needed most.
To date, 16 ambulances filled with medical supplies have been delivered to Ukraine, with volunteers driving them across Europe.
National recruitment consultancy Gi Group has appointed a new managing director.
Following the acquisition of Encore Personnel, the Midlands recruitment agency’s former MD Pete Taylor (pictured) steps up to managing director of Gi Group Staffing UK & Ireland.
Pete has spent 26 years working in the recruitment sector – the last 17 of which involved building Encore into the dynamic company that Gi acquired at the end of 2022.
He succeeds Paul Smith, who led Gi Group for almost two decades, growing its nationwide presence.
Pete said: “I’m honoured to be taking the baton, as it were, from Paul, who has demonstrated in the short time we have worked together how investment in and dedication to the people of Gi Group is the key to success in this very important role.”
Pennine Healthcare has appointed a new commercial director as part of a re-shuffle of its sales function.
Jon Atkinson (pictured) has joined the Derby-based firm, which manufactures and distributes single-use, sterile ward and theatre consumables and procedure packs, to lead the sales team.
He brings more than 25 years of experience within the healthcare industry, and will work closely with CEO Graeme Cameron on the firm’s growth and market access strategy, as well as key account management.
Graeme said: “At Pennine, we are passionate about healthcare and living our purpose of ‘protecting life’. To deliver this purpose, we require expertise and experience to collaborate with our partners to solve their greatest challenges. I am delighted Jon has joined us to drive both our growth, and that of our partners.”
Experts in business, payroll and tax have secured senior roles at Duncan & Toplis.
Chris Bradford has been appointed as a director at the accountancy and business advisory firm, while Annette Stewart, Charlotte Peacock, Damon Tunnicliffe, Ellie Scotland, Emma Pendrigh, James Goodrich and Sally-
Anne Hurn have been promoted to associate director roles.
They will each play a role in leading the company as it supports businesses and individuals across the East Midlands and beyond.
Adrian Reynolds, managing director of Duncan & Toplis, said: “Despite an uncertain economic outlook, 2022 was a year of growth
A multilingual specialist private family lawyer has joined Smith Partnership, strengthening its work with the Leicestershire community and breaking down barriers to legal support.
Shameela Chopdat joined the firm’s Leicester office in February from Worcestershire-based Bank Solicitors.
Shameela, who was born and raised in Leicester, said she is looking forward to working closely with the community in the city. She speaks English and Gujarati, as well as some Urdu, which she believes encourages people to
access legal support.
“When you’re building those relationships with clients, it helps if you speak their language,” she said. “I have seen before when clients come in and they try to speak in English but are struggling and I say, ‘it’s okay, I can speak Gujurati’.
“I also think some people aren’t aware that interpreters are available and may not come forward for legal support at all.”
Shameela is the seventh multilingual lawyer employed by Smith Partnership across its offices in Derby, Leicester, Stoke, Swadlincote, Burton and Ashby.
for Duncan & Toplis, and these promotions reflect our confidence and resilience as we look to the future.
“All the candidates have demonstrated their individual passion for the role and the Duncan & Toplis group, and they’re committed to delivering on our 2025 vision.”
Shed Grounds Maintenance has promoted Dan Booth (pictured) to contracts manager.
Dan joined the grounds maintenance company in 2018 as an operative working on the tools, since progressing to foreman and then to operations supervisor.
In his new role, Dan will manage operative teams in addition to overseeing the management of several sites.
This will involve coordinating operations, ensuring optimal efficiency and quality, and providing leadership and support to the team. Dan’s in-depth knowledge of the industry, hands-on experience and commitment to excellence make him well-equipped to excel in his new position.
Managing director Peter Botham said: “Dan has been an invaluable asset to our company, and has consistently demonstrated exceptional skills, dedication, and a strong work ethic.”
In October 2021 the UK Government published their 10-point plan to achieve Net Zero by 2050. It is one of the most ambitious programmes of its type in the world, and promises to change our country for the better by promoting a green sustainable future and stopping the environmental damage caused by our carbon-addicted economy.
As a scientist I have always felt that carbon has always needed a better PR manager. It is one of the fundamental building blocks of life and for all the negativity surrounding carbon dioxide, methane, CFCs (chloroflurocarbons), we sometimes overlook that it is a vital part of all the proteins, DNA, fats and carbohydrates that make up all life on earth.
Carbon is also a vital component in plastics, another chemical with some bad press issues. Plastics like polystyrene, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and polyethylene have been as important to the building of the modern world as gas and oil. They are incredibly cheap and easy to produce in huge quantities and possess a whole range of amazing properties, the most useful being a total impermeability to moisture and liquids.
This combination has seen plastic replace glass as the container of choice for biotech and life science research. Plastic can be moulded into any format required, stored forever, trusted to hold liquid for years, if not decades. It is so cheap and easy to acquire that it can be thrown away without a second thought. Or at least that is what we assumed.
Plastic, famously, does not degrade. Singleuse plastics that have been used for only a few seconds can last centuries in the natural environment. Many types can be recycled, and there are now hundreds of products designed to be compostable in landfills, while still giving the user all the benefits they are used to with conventional plastics. However these products
are being adopted for food packaging, with only a few examples available for laboratory use.
Change is coming to our laboratories, whether we like it or not. In 2018, the Government set out its plans for an equally ambitious, yet less well known, target of eliminating avoidable plastic waste by 2042. This immediately led to banning plastic microbeads, and soon after tackling prolific single use products like plastic drinking straws. Single use plastic shopping bags are now a thing of the past, and we are seeing more produce in the supermarket come in minimal, paper based packaging.
Government-backed, tax-based initiatives to eliminate single use plastic waste have been incredibly successful so far, so expect to see many more for in the future as we get closer to 2042. So, when is the taxman going to come after our centrifuge tubes and pipette tips?
There is a strong case for them to take a closer look at our labs. A study in Nature estimated that for institutes and SMEs, each bench scientist generates around a tonne of plastic waste per year. In 2014 around 5.5 million tonnes of lab plastic waste were generated
globally. That is equivalent to the combined tonnage of 67 cruise liners, and equal to 83% of the plastic recycled worldwide in 2012.
At CryoLogyx, we don’t greenwash. Our products use the same single use plastic everyone else is using, because right now it is the best solution. Our assay ready, cryopreserved, pre-plated cells come in polystyrene multi-well plates because they are robust, sterile, long lasting and fit seamlessly into our customers’ workflows.
What our products can help you do is significantly reduce the volume of plastic your lab generates. To prepare just five plates of cells for an experiment, we estimate that bench scientists use and throw away a minimum of 37 different pieces of single use plastic. If you used our assay ready plates, you would only need to use six – five of those being the assay ready multi-well plates, and just one pipette tip to add warm media to thaw the cells. That equates to an 86% reduction in single use plastic waste in your lab.
We have designed our product to fit seamlessly into whatever your current cell culture workflow is; you don’t need any other special media or thawing equipment. Plates are made ready to use in less than a minute of bench scientist time, compared to the hours required for conventional cell culture. And since our plated cells can be stored frozen and used on demand, they can help reduce the time-toexperiment from several days to less than 24 hours.
As Loughborough MP between 2010 and 2019, Nicky Morgan – or Baroness Morgan of Cotes, to give her full title – was a prominent member of David Cameron’s cabinet, serving most prominently as Education Secretary for two years Now chair of The Careers and Enterprise Company having helped set it up, she is playing a vital role in bringing businesses closer together with education and training providers to boost skills provision, as she explains to Dan Robinson
is The Careers and Enterprise Company’s mission, featuring at the top of its website and returning time and again during this conversation.
What this “best next step” entails will of course depend on the individual, but at times it has perhaps felt like the options were narrow
When Baroness Morgan was appointed Education Secretary just under a decade ago, a 16-year-old could either continue their academic journey into A-levels and university, or join the world of work
The transition from education to employment was very linear but, since then, a
raft of opportunities for our next generation have emerged Apprenticeships, for example, were once restricted to manual vocations such as plumbing, joinery or nursing
Now, they can provide the first steps for a career in marketing, project management or law, to name a few, and even come with higher education qualifications via degree apprenticeships
There are also traineeships for gaining work experience to get ready for an apprenticeship or job, while the introduction of T levels in 2020 has been welcomed by industry Delivered over two years and providing a qualification equivalent to three A levels, they involve a hybrid approach of classroom and employment-based education in a
“Helping every young person to find their best next step”
growing list of subjects including digital, science, construction and health
“The definition of what that best next step could be has become much broader over the past 10 years,” says Baroness Morgan, who serves in the House of Lords after being made a life peer in December 2019 upon stepping down as MP
“It was previously a decision between going straight into work or getting a degree, but now there’s so many options ”
As well as leading to better future outcomes for young people and enabling them to make a positive contribution to society, a broader career pathway benefits businesses as they can tap into a multi-skilled, work-ready talent pool
On numerous occasions, the Chamber ’s chief executive Scott Knowles has spoken in public forums about how skills shortages were cited by firms as one of the biggest concerns in the Quarterly Economic Survey a decade ago – and little has changed
Baroness Morgan believes acute skills shortages stem from a rapidly-changing world of work catching many industries off-guard and a lack of focus in policy to tackle them
Baroness Morgan set it up in 2015 while in Government and admits to having been inspired by the Bridge to Work programme that began on her patch two years earlier
Led by Loughborough College and supported by organisations including the Chamber, the scheme linked up employers, schools and the community in order to provide a work-ready talent pipeline for businesses while directing young people towards job opportunities
The then-Loughborough MP worked closely with Bridge to Work and believes its model of impartial advice and support was a trailblazer
But she is also clear that businesses themselves must be part of the solution by inserting themselves into the education and skills system
This could involve forging links with a local school to encompass classroom sessions and workplace visits, or a more formalised relationship via The Careers and Enterprise Company’s (CEC) careers hubs initiative that connects employers with educators and trainers
Or it could be that businesses get on board with major local projects such as the East Midlands Institute of Technology, which is due to open in 2024 with a remit to create a talent pipeline fit for 21st century industry
“This is now an important landscape for businesses to really make sure our skills and training system is powering local and national economies,” adds Baroness Morgan
“Employers of all shapes and sizes need to be plugged into the education system in the broadest sense if they are going to plug those skills gaps in the future ”
THE CEC IS the national body for careers education in England with a remit to haul it into the 21st century, and its roots can be found in Loughborough
She says: “My priority as Education Secretary was careers and we replicated the Bridge to Work model on a national basis via The Careers and Enterprise Company, which is all about connecting the worlds of education and employment via a systematic approach
“We’ve never had a golden age of careers provision in this country – it’s been patchy and inconsistent – but the CEC model has brought much greater coherence, consistency and an emerging consensus about what good looks like
“As an MP, I had conversations with employers of all shapes and sizes about issues with recruitment, and about how they could get into schools and colleges to provide careers inspiration, but not being able to do it on a systematic basis ”
The CEC has established and runs a national network of careers hubs These bring schools and colleges – 91% in England are now in a careers hub – closer together with employers and apprenticeship providers in local areas to drive forward careers education
Working with local enterprise partnerships and combined authorities where they exist, The CEC also provides targeted support to help meet local priorities and skills agendas
“We’re not a delivery entity, we’re about bringing together everyone who is invested in careers education,” says Baroness Morgan
Hubs employ enterprise co-ordinators to help school and colleges to develop careers plans,
Baroness Morgan admits to missing life on the constituency beat but is enjoying her latest challenges. Having trained as a solicitor and corporate lawyer, she spent 16 years working for City law firms before being elected as a Conservative MP for Loughborough in 2010
She went on to hold roles as Minister for Women and Equalities and Education Secretary, both from 2014 to 2016, and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary from 2019 to 2020 The latter role was held both while an MP and after being appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer
Now on what she describes as her third career, Baroness Morgan is chair of The CEC, independent non-executive director of Santander UK, trustee of the Science Museum Group, nonexecutive director of Great Central Railway in Loughborough, and chair of the Association of British Insurers
Baroness Morgan says: “It’s very different from being on the political frontline, which has been particularly turbulent in the past few years “I do miss the constituency work but it’s also part of moving on to new challenges, which I’m really enjoying ”
train their careers leaders and implement the socalled Gatsby Benchmarks on what world-class careers provision looks like
Enterprise advisers, meanwhile, facilitate partnerships with key employers committed to improving careers across an area
Baroness Morgan explains: “Employers can provide the perspective of the local labour market and skills needs in order to help shape careers education in schools and colleges, while the volunteer enterprise advisers go into schools and talk to pupils about what the modern workplace looks like to help inspire them ”
A CEC pilot scheme featuring about 200 companies creates “teacher encounters” These help teachers to engage directly with an employer by learning about the different career pathways relevant to their subject and observe
‘Employers of all shapes and sizes need to be plugged into the education system’Baroness Morgan was Secretary of State for Education from 2014 to 2016
how it is applied practically in business by visiting a modern workplace One of the things we want to do in terms of developing ambitions is embed careers advice into the curriculum, so when pupils are learning about subjects, they can begin to think about how it will make a difference in employability terms,” says Baroness Morgan, who is also keen to highlight the influence of parents as career role models for their children
“Many teachers will know the education system very well but not necessarily other workplaces, whether it’s in manufacturing, retail or logistics
“One of the most powerful experiences I had was meeting a group of apprentices at RollsRoyce in Derby, who said they didn’t appreciate why the maths they had been learning was useful until they started working there
“For pupils, but also teachers who are maybe
1 Raise the quality of careers provision in schools, special schools and colleges against the Gatsby Benchmarks through training for the education workforce, targeted support and quality assurance
2. Drive more high-quality experiences with employers for students and teachers –with a focus on current “cold spots”
3 Amplify apprenticeships, technical and vocational routes – including by supporting the implementation of the provider access legislation
4 Focus on interventions for economically disadvantaged young people and those who face most barriers – through identifying and addressing the needs of specific cohorts
5 Connect careers provision in schools and colleges to the needs of local economies – as articulated through Local Skills Improvement Plans
struggling to engage students, having this modern context in which to place subjects –whether it’s understanding data or using certain computing programmes, for example – can be very effective in making it real for everyone ”
AS PART OF its own learning journey, the CEC collects and publishes national data from schools, colleges and young people to understand the effectiveness of careers education, as well as evaluate programmes to ensure they are delivering impact
A survey of 35,000 young people for its Ready for the Future report, which analyses progress made in the careers education system in the 2021/22 academic year, illustrates how career readiness improves as pupils progress through school While 45% of year seven pupils
said they felt career-ready, this rose to 67% of those in year 11 and 74% in year 13
It also shows awareness of apprenticeships doubles from 39% in year seven to 81% by year 11, while 79% of year 11 students know the skills needed by employers and 86% have a plan for their next step
Other key findings show work experience has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels (up from 47% to 65% of year 13 students), four in five employers (82%) are now running in-person workplace visits, and English and maths are linked to careers by more than nine in 10 colleges and three-quarters of schools
A clear evidence base was a founding principle of The CEC as it enables new approaches to be trialled, evaluated and potentially implemented
‘When you’re struggling to find the right skills, what is your response as a company? Do you want to stand back and hope for the best, or step in and work with young people on your doorstep to help solve the problem?’
Local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) like the one developed in Leicester and Leicestershire by a Chamber-led partnership could help address skills gaps before they appear, believes Baroness
MorganThe Department for Education has funded 38 LSIPs as a key part of achieving aims set out initially in the Skills for Jobs whitepaper, which seeks to put employers firmly at the heart of the skills system
LSIPs give employers more direct input into their respective skills systems, and ensure local residents are able to prosper in the workplace, by making a series of practical recommendations and influencing curriculums
In Leicester and Leicestershire, the Chamber has created a Collective Intelligence Skills Observatory for a data-led approach to understanding where skills gaps lie and matching these with skills programmes delivered by education and training providers
Baroness Morgan says: “The LSIPs are giving skills a focus we haven’t had before by highlighting where skills gaps are now and where they are going to be in the future, then communicating to schools and colleges the needs of the local economy
“Previously, we just left it to parents to pick up from other adults they might come into contact with, so it’s no surprise there have been a narrow set of jobs and qualifications
“This is changing thanks to the data we can collect – but as ever, it’s how we use that data to connect it with what we are teaching and the aspirations of young people If the data shows a certain part of the economy is growing and this is where the jobs of the future will be, we must then ensure the curriculum is helping young people to be ready for the skills those jobs need ”
“With five years’ worth of data, we can absolutely see a strengthening in the system, with lots of schools improving across a number of benchmarks,” says Baroness Morgan
“For example, 81% of institutions in wellestablished careers hubs involved 10 or more businesses in careers activity
“So in many ways, the future of the CEC is about continuity in getting more businesses engaged But there are some areas we want to focus on, such as ensuring we are getting highquality encounters and really embedding careers into the curriculum to put this into context for young people ”
The Chamber helped to lead the Our Future Derby project, which delivered career-based learning to 12,500 children and teachers at 32 primary schools in seven of Derby’s most deprived wards between April 2019 and December 2020
More than 320 volunteers from local businesses were recruited to deliver careerrelated classroom learning, which encouraged teachers to link the curriculum to future employment opportunities
The goal was to raise aspirations among young children by opening their eyes to their future possibilities and enhance social mobility
An evaluation of the project showed that 68% of the children said the main influencers of their job ideas were parents and other close family members, but the intervention resulted in 81% learning at least five new jobs
This tallies with research by The CEC illustrating that the more pupils are exposed to different careers in conversations, the more their horizons will be broadened It has also found disadvantaged communities benefit most from careers education
Baroness Morgan adds: “It shows the importance of bringing the world of work into schools and colleges so young people can hear relatable stories from people who have been in a similar position to them and are now in a particular career
“A pupil might not have previously heard about a job but, once they learn what it involves, think it sounds like something they could be interested in
Businesses can engage with The CEC via two routes:
There are currently more than 300 businesses within this flagship community, which work with the careers hubs to engage directly with schools and colleges
They also put forward their staff as business volunteers to partner with educators and seek to inspire other businesses to engage
In return, cornerstone employers say they have benefited from more effective recruitment, establishing a stronger talent pipeline to fill skills gaps and establishing a deeper connection to local people
For more information, visit www careersandenterprise co uk/employers/ become-a-cornerstone-employer
“Going back to the ‘best next step’, this is essential because it enables young people to find the right job for them and helps them to achieve greater social mobility ”
FOR BUSINESSES THAT get involved with the education system, it’s something of a “virtuous circle”, believes Baroness Morgan
In a recent roundtable with SME employers, one of the benefits cited was how working with schools counted towards corporate social responsibility objectives and enabled staff to feel they were giving back to the community
But many businesses also take the view that stirring interest in their industry will pay dividends for their own organisation in the long term by creating a talent pipeline
“A lot of businesses have found that if they host a student on a work placement or another type of encounter, they might meet a future employee,” says Baroness Morgan, who stresses the importance of companies developing soft skills such as problem-solving, teamwork and receiving constructive feedback when taking on a student
“Through the careers hubs, we are able to support these encounters on an organised basis, whether it’s attending careers fairs, mentoring, placements or other types of talks The more interactive we can make it, the more we can inspire people ”
The Chamber ’s Quarterly Economic Survey has consistently shown about two-thirds of East Midlands businesses have attempted to recruit over the past 18 months but, of that cohort, four in five have struggled to fill roles
Policy interventions can help turn on the taps within the labour market, which organisations like the Chamber have lobbied for, but Baroness Morgan ends with a challenge to businesses
“When you’re struggling to find the right skills, what is your response as a company? Do you want to stand back and hope for the best, or step in and work with young people on your doorstep to help solve the problem?
“As the world of work changes, there will always be gaps emerging, but what success looks like is employers planning how to plug those gaps in advance by working with the education and skills system ”
A voluntary role for individuals within businesses, to partner with a local secondary schools or college and help them to develop a strong careers programme for all students
Working with the school or college’s careers leader and wider senior leadership team, the individual will provide a valuable employer ’s perspective on how a school or college can embed labour market information and opportunities into the careers programme
The ideal candidate is a business professional willing to volunteer their time to achieve positive change for young people
For more information, visit enterpriseadviser.careersandenterprise.co.uk
Another board chaired by Baroness Morgan is the East Midlands Institute of Technology (EMIoT), which aims to create a talent pipeline for the net zero workforce needed to lead the UK’s green and digital revolution
Construction is underway on a £13m training complex in Loughborough that is due to open in September 2024 and accommodate 2,000 learners by 2027
The EMIoT is a partnership between Loughborough College, Loughborough University, Derby College Group and the University of Derby
The consortium aims to create a worldclass, research-orientated, employer-led “learning factory” founded on clean growth and digital delivery
It is working closely with global businesses including Rolls-Royce, Uniper, Toyota, Alstom, National Grid, Fujitsu and Bloc Digital, but Baroness Morgan says SMEs will have just as important a role to play
“The EMIoT will involve employers right from the outset to shape courses via an employment advisory board,” she says
“One of the other important facets is its ability to offer short courses to people already in the workplace, often at the request of their employers to bring skills up to date ”
Creative businesses at a University of Derby incubator were placed under the spotlight at an inaugural spring showcase event.
Tenants at Banks Mill Studios were given a platform to exhibit their work and connect with other businesses at the event in April.
The university manages the innovation space in Derby city centre, which comprises 38 studios and a gallery to create a community for microbusinesses in the creative and digital industries.
It was previously a factory owned by Banks & Sons Ltd, producing rope, tarpaulin, tents, coal bags and shop blinds before its closure in the 1980s.
Anna Wood, who organised the spring showcase, said: “With 20 exhibitors and 50 attendees, it was great to see so many people networking –giving our artists, makers and creative service businesses a chance to shine and promote what they do.”
The event was opened by Professor Alex Molasiotis, provice-chancellor dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Education.
He spoke to attendees about the creative and cultural industries in Derby, and the role played by the School of Arts and Banks Mill Studios to nurture the next generation of creative talent. Derbyshire vocalised and violinist Lizzie Ball, who founded her company Classical Kicks Productions in 2012, also made a keynote speech.
The event was the final stage of the Derbyshire Festival of Business, in which the university delivered more than 100 events in partnership with the Chamber with funding from Vision Derbyshire.
Adam Buss, director of Culture Derby, added: “The Banks Mill community has proven, time and again, that is resilient, innovative, creative and world class.”
High-flying business owners in the East Midlands were recognised for their achievements at The Real Entrepreneurs’ Awards 2023.
Ten winners accepted their awards at the annual awards ceremony held by The Real Entrepreneurs’ Club at Nottingham Business School on 4 May.
Chamber members recognised on the night included Natalie Bamford, of Colleague Box (Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year); Amanda Daly, of The Insight Centre (Entrepreneurial Collaborator); Stacey Wragg, of Embark CSR (Entrepreneur for Good); Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, of The Zinthiya Trust (Entrepreneurial Spirit); Gurdev Mattuu, of Fashion UK (International Entrepreneur of the Year); and Leanne Bonner-Cooke MBE, of e-Bate (Scale-up Entrepreneur of the Year).
Event organiser Cross Productions brought 180 guests from across the region together for the celebration, which was held in partnership with fellow Chamber patron Fraser Stretton Property Group as headline sponsor.
A highlight of the awards was the Pitching Platform, in which three start-ups pitched to the room for a chance to win £10,000 worth of legal and marketing advice, as well as investment, from Pattersons Commercial Law and Cross Productions.
Kate Allan, founder of ExpHand Prosthetics and the inaugural winner of the Chamber’s Generation Next Future Leader Award in 2021, was the winner.
Jenny Cross, CEO od Cross Productions, said: “The winners were exceptionally impressive, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”
A multi-million-pound partnership, which brought academia and industry together to instigate innovation and mechanical excellence in the aerospace sector, has come to an end after making multiple advances in technologies.
The Cornerstone Prosperity Partnership, led by the University of Nottingham alongside industry partner Rolls-Royce and academic partners University of Oxford and Imperial College London, was awarded £13.5m in funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and others in 2017 to advance six key areas of mechanical engineering science.
The partnership, which later added Queen’s University Belfast, has brought low-carbon aircraft propulsion closer to reality and supported the exploration of new designs that improve efficiency, reduce noise pollution, and lower gas turbine engine weight.
Professor Seamus Garvey, principal investigator of the Cornerstone Prosperity Partnership at the University of Nottingham, said: “The Cornerstone Prosperity Partnership has proven itself to be highly effective, allowing industry and academia to collaborate more closely in a way that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.”
Dr Sophoclis Patsias, senior partnership manager at RollsRoyce, added: “It has been a privilege to play a leading role in the programme, bringing together this diverse and talented group that has delivered exceptional research with a direct benefit both to Rolls-Royce and to the wider community.”
TUI will office its largest ever programme of flights from East Midlands Airport (EMA) in summer 2024.
The travel operator has responded to EMA’s increased passenger demand to add a sixth aircraft to its fleet based at the airport, offering an additional 100,000 passenger seats.
This will allow it to fly 85 flights in the peak summer months next year, reaching 27 destinations in 10 countries.
An exhibition, film and book chronicling the history of Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) were on display at an event held to mark its 50th anniversary.
The affordable housing and care provider marked half a century with a celebration at the Nottingham Contemporary art gallery, in which it showcased achievements and stories of people it has supported along the way within its 50 Years of Better Lives exhibition.
Customers, stakeholders and employees, past and present, came together to celebrate the work accomplished and reflect on shared histories.
Paul Moat, chief executive of NCHA, said: “We’re so proud to be celebrating 50 years of NCHA. Our mission is to provide homes and support by people who care, and no matter what, we will stay true to our social purpose.
“In 50 years’ time, when we’re celebrating our centenary, I believe
we’ll still be doing what we’re doing now – delivering more homes, great services and better lives.”
From humble beginnings in Nottingham, NCHA now works across the East Midlands. It is an affordable landlord to more than 20,000 people and delivers a million hours of care and support to over 1,000 vulnerable adults.
It began with the ambition of one man, Andrew Malone. In 1973, he single-handedly approached Nottingham City Council for a £500,000 loan to spend on affordable housing for homeless families.
Armed with a small grant from the charity Shelter and a promise to provide Nottingham with 100 affordable homes that year, the council agreed. Andrew received an
OBE in 2005 and passed away earlier this year.
NCHA, which employs more than 1,200 people, now owns and manages 10,000 homes and has plans to build 370 new homes each year, mostly using its own in-house architect and development teams.
Staff raised more than £5,000 for homelessness charity Crisis to mark the anniversary, while the board of trustees made a special contribution towards environmental sustainability by fundraising to plant a tree for every day NCHA has been in operation – resulting in 18,262 trees. These are projected to remove more than 10,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere over their lifetime.
The next major project for NCHA is the creation of a mixed-use development off Farnborough Road, in Clifton. It will feature a new head office, and accommodation for elderly people and those with support needs, alongside existing sports facilities.
These include Spain, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Tunisia and the Marella Cruise programme that stops at Corfu, Dalaman, Dubrovnik and Palma de Mallorca. A new route to Sal, Cape Verde, will also be introduced.
EMA expects to welcome four million passengers this year, bringing it nearer preCovid numbers that peaked at about 4.8 million.
Managing director Steve Griffiths said: “We are delighted that our passengers will have an even greater choice of flights to their favourite destinations next summer.
“TUI’s decision to increase its capacity by 40% is significant as it will mean its EMA operation will be the biggest it has ever been. It is fantastic for those who wish to fly quickly and easily to their favourite holiday destinations.”
‘Our mission is to provide homes and support by people who care’NCHA chair of the board Callum Gillespie
More East Midlands businesses are integrating equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into workplace policies, new research has found.
A study from the Chamber in partnership with emh group found the proportion of firms with a specific EDI-related policy grew from 48% in 2022 to 54% this year. There was also a 3% drop to 37% of firms saying they had no such policy.
Some 56% of respondents said EDI formed part of strategic discussions at leadership or board level, with 15% believing this was to “a great extent” – although the same proportion said there was no focus on EDI at all – in figures similar to 12 months ago.
research shows that while it has slipped slightly – perhaps due to the persistent pressures on firms caused by a cost-of-doing-business crisis that has occupied leaders’ minds over the past 18 months –EDI remains an important consideration for many businesses in the East Midlands.
Chris Hobson• There was a relatively even split in EDI policy adoption between services-based businesses (55%) and manufacturers (52%) – with a significant growth in engagement among manufacturers after 43% had a policy a year earlier
• EDI adoption reduces the further down we descend in the business size spectrum – from 90% of large firms having a dedicated policy, this reduces to 68% of medium businesses, 57% of small companies and 37% of microbusinesses
The biggest benefit attributed to having an engaged approach to EDI was its ability to create an inclusive working environment, which was cited by 65% of respondents.
Other popular reasons included the role it plays in supporting diversity of thought in decisionmaking (58%), staff recruitment and retention (52%), and better representing customers and clients (44%).
An average score of five out of 10 was given to the importance of EDI engagement to the success of an organisation. This was down from 5.6 a year earlier, while it also falls behind corporate social responsibility, which was awarded a score of 5.7 in a separate survey.
The Chamber’s director of policy and insight Chris Hobson said: “This
“Those engaged cite benefits such as supporting innovation, staff recruitment and retention, and better representing customers – all business-critical issues at a time when firms are looking for new ways to improve productivity and plug persistent skills gaps, with our research also showing 73% of firms that try to recruit will struggle to fill roles.
“While there are still barriers to EDI adoption, including a lack of understanding among leadership teams and a fear about getting it wrong, we know that providing businesses with the support they need to implement EDI policies can lead to greater adoption – and ultimately support business success.”
The research was carried out within the Chamber’s Quarterly
• Barriers to an effective EDI policy included it not being viewed as a priority (cited by 42% of respondents), concerns about getting it wrong and causing inadvertent upset (30%), the time it takes to develop a policy (28%), ensuring buy-in from staff (24%), a lack of understanding among the leadership team (22%) and a perception it isn’t needed in their workplace (22%).
Economic Survey – which gathers intelligence on how businesses are faring in areas such as sales, cashflow and recruitment – for Q1 2023, with 320 responses.
It will be used to create a series of recommendations for further business support and policy activity around how Government can collaborate with employer representative bodies to advocate for EDI and support further engagement.
This was the second instalment of EDI research as part of a strategic partnership between the Chamber and emh group, an affordable housing, care and
support provider based in Leicestershire.
Chan Kataria OBE, chief executive of emh group, said he was “encouraged” to see a positive shift in some areas of engagement.
“A key aspect of this research was to explore the barriers to engagement on EDI,” he added. “The results strongly indicate an appetite for support, and increased engagement on the broader spectrum of EDI.
“The findings also provide a platform to explore opportunities to share good practice and collaborate for better business outcomes.”
The East Midlands’ unemployment rate has risen to its highest level in almost 18 months, new figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.
It was 3.7% in the three months to March 2023, up by two-tenths of a percentage point compared to a month earlier, although still below the national average of 3.9%.
More significantly, this was the highest level recorded in the ONS’ regional labour market figures since the August to October 2021 period, when it was 4.2%.
The Chamber’s chief executive Scott Knowles (pictured) said: “While the region’s unemployment rate remains at historically low levels and about 2% below its
pandemic peak, it has been very slowly rising over the past six months.
“This indicates we must not get complacent about the relatively low unemployment rate, which if anything has masked a series of troubling trends facing firms when it comes to recruitment.”
‘Those engaged cite benefits such as supporting innovation, staff recruitment an d retention’Chan Kataria OBE
The views of businesses are being sought as an inquiry is launched into the social and economic benefits of public infrastructure investment in the East Midlands.
The East Midlands All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), which brings together crossparty MPs and peers in the region to identify priorities for development and maximise future investment, is working with the Chamber, East Midlands Councils and Geldards LLP to gather intelligence from the business community across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
Latest figures from the Treasury show the East Midlands receives 64.7% of the UK average for transport infrastructure spending by Government – the lowest amount of all regions.
The APPG is therefore keen to understand the extent to which national infrastructure investment underpins local investment by businesses and councils that results in social and economic benefits for people and places. The analysis will be used by MPs to engage with Government and the National Infrastructure Commission, which will publish its second National Infrastructure Assessment in autumn this year to set out the UK’s longterm economic infrastructure needs, to address the region’s infrastructure deficit.
Chris Hobson, director of policy and insight at the Chamber, which acts as the East Midlands APPG’s secretariat, said: “For years, the East Midlands has been bottom of the pile when it comes to public investment and it’s held back our potential. Time and again, we find ourselves at the back of the queue when it comes to building major infrastructure, with promises not kept over the electrification of the Midland Main Line and the HS2 Eastern Leg significantly scaled back despite full delivery happening elsewhere in the country – which could leave us structurally disadvantaged as a result.
“In the Chamber’s regional economic blueprint, A Centre of Trading Excellence: A Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands and Beyond, we earmark infrastructure as one of the ‘four Is’ – along with investment, innovation and international trade – that Westminster must prioritise in order to achieve sustained economic growth. This inquiry is the next step in this strand of work and we want to hear the views of businesses.”
The Chamber has designed a short survey for businesses to complete by Friday 9 June. To take part, visit bit.ly/EMinfrastructure
Refugees from countries including Ukraine and Syria are being supported into work across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire by a partnership between two Chambers of Commerce.
East Midlands Chamber and Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce are working together to develop refugees’ skills, employability and social integration, with the aim of enhancing confidence among individuals who have fled war, violence or persecution to take on jobs here – and in turn help businesses to fill vacancies.
In response to the crisis in Ukraine, members of East Midlands Chamber’s employment services team have made weekly visits to Nottingham Ukrainian Cultural Centre to help refugees arriving in the area.
The team has supported more than 150 individuals with
personalised training courses, CV and job application writing, interview preparation, housing and financial assistance, introductions to employers, including Nottingham Venues, Pizza Factory and Smyths Toys.
It has also worked with Nottingham-based charity Refugee Roots to provide English language lessons and address mental health barriers.
Paul Needham, head of employment services at the Chamber, said: “Given the extremely tight labour market we are experiencing right now – our research shows that while six in 10 East Midlands businesses attempted to recruit in the first three months of 2023, almost three-quarters (73%) of those struggled to fill roles – we have been engaging businesses about the benefits of adopting inclusive recruitment policies to open up vacancies to a wider pool of people, including refugees.
Ukrainian national Anastasiia Markeliuk (pictured) works for conference and event space operator Nottingham Venues as a food and beverage assistant after being connected with her employer by the Chamber.
Anastasiia comes from Kherson, one of the first areas in Ukraine to be invaded by the Russian army, and was taken in by a family from Lady Bay, Nottingham, after fleeing the country via Poland. She has a master’s degree in geography and sociology, and understands her current role is a stepping-stone for future job prospects.
She said: “I am very grateful for the support I have received since I have arrived in the UK, both from my host family and Nottingham Venues.
“The refugee community often features very skilled people who have a lot to offer and can make a real difference to companies, so I would encourage businesses to be open to the opportunities that employing refugees can provide.”
Suzie Adams, HR director at Nottingham Venues, which operates East Midlands Conference Centre and The Jubilee Hotel and Conferences among other venues, added: “We have a number of employees from the Ukrainian community working in a variety of roles within our business.
“We are trying to support them as much as possible, whether in a work capacity or if they need any support outside of work.
“Almost all are highly educated with a wide variety of qualifications. Their spirit, determination combined with an ability to turn their hands to anything makes them an asset to our team or indeed any business.”
“Supporting Ukrainian refugees in Nottinghamshire over the past six months has been a really rewarding exercise for our team given the desperate circumstances these people find themselves in, and it has provided an important platform for introducing more families and individuals to our wide portfolio of employment services, which break down barriers to work.
advice to Afghan, Syrian and Ukrainian refugees now based in Staffordshire, and connects them with local companies.
Part-funded by the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, it has supported more than 250 people, including highly-skilled professionals such as doctors, surgeons, nurses, psychologists, dentists, engineers, project managers and accountants.
All individuals have had to meet Government criteria showing their right to work in the UK and been aged 18 or older.
“We now want to replicate this work in Derbyshire in partnership with Staffordshire Chamber, which has had great success within its own area, to provide further job opportunities that will enable refugees to integrate into our society and contribute to the communities they now call home.”
For the past two years, Staffordshire Chamber has run the Positive Pathways programme, which provides employability skills development and business start-up
Positive Pathways project manager Julie Priestnall said: “Refugees are often skilled and capable individuals who hold qualifications and practical experience across various areas of work, as well as a willingness to learn, which means they can provide a significant contribution to businesses with a little bit of support.”
Some of the barriers to employment faced by refugees include a lack of work references or knowledge of the labour market, not having completed education before fleeing their country or qualifications not being recognised in the UK.
The chances of refugees returning to employment often lesson the longer they are unemployed as they lose confidence and self-esteem.
‘Refugees are often skilled and capable individuals who hold qualifications and practical experience’Individuals and businesses can find out more by contacting the Chamber’s employment services team at employment.services@emc-dnl.co.uk Paul Needham
Celebrations may have wound down for the King’s coronation, but East Midlands firms have been urged to seek the royal seal of approval for their own achievements by entering the UK’s most prestigious business awards.
The Chamber is encouraging companies across the three counties to enter the King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024, which opened for entries over the coronation weekend.
They will recognise organisations for their achievements across innovation, international development, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility. Winners for the 2023 awards, which were previously known as the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were announced in April and featured four from Derbyshire, two from Leicestershire and two from Nottinghamshire.
The Chamber’s chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Our region is full of fantastic companies that are breaking new ground in their sectors, delivering goods and services across the world, and demonstrating how business can be a force for good – which is why we are so keen to talk about the East Midlands being a Centre of Trading Excellence.
“Now, it’s time to start spreading the word about just how great we are on a global stage and we would
Adapting to the challenges in retail was the topic of conversation at a business roundtable attended by the Chamber’s head of enterprise.
Paul Stuart took part in the Insider Media discussion in Leicester, alongside representatives from a number of other organisations.
Paul told the roundtable: “Small retailers are suffering a double hit at the moment: customers have less money and overheads have gone up sharply. We’ve done a lot of work with independent businesses, helping them to get more footfall.”
To read what business leaders had to say on the future of retail, visit bit.ly/3BzZJfj
encourage businesses to shout about their achievements far and wide.
“The King’s coronation was a tremendous occasion that brought the best of our country together, so what better time to use this as an opportunity to showcase the best of our region’s business community by entering the King’s Awards for Enterprise.
“It was exciting to see eight companies with links to our region – including six Chamber members –recognised in the 2023 awards but it would be great to grow this number in 2024 and really put the East Midlands on the map.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024 are free to enter and the deadline is midday on 12 September 2023. Applicants can
enter multiple categories via an online process.
Shortlisted organisations will be notified in October and winners notified in March 2024, with unsuccessful organisations receiving feedback on their applications around the same time.
The list of winners is officially announced in the London Gazette on 6 May 2024 and representatives will be invited to attend a royal reception next summer.
Awards recipients are permitted
to fly the King’s Awards for Enterprise flag at their main office and use the emblem in marketing materials for five years. They will also receive an official certificate known as a grant of appointment and a commemorative crystal trophy.
For more information about eligibility criteria and to apply for the King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024, visit www.gov.uk/kingsawards-for-enterprise.
DERBYSHIRE
• Archaeological Research Services Ltd, Bakewell (Innovation Award)
• MasterMover Ltd, Ashbourne (Innovation Award)
• SureScreen Diagnostics Ltd, Derby (Innovation Award and International Trade Award)
• Trade & DIY Products Limited, trading as TDP Ltd, Wirksworth (Sustainable Development Award)
LEICESTERSHIRE
• Blanson Limited, Leicester (International Trade Award)
• PCE Automation Ltd – parent company of db automation, Lutterworth (Innovation Award)
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
• Anpario plc, Worksop (Sustainable Development Award)
• Upperton Limited, Nottingham (International Trade Award) Have your say on project to
Businesses are being urged to make their voices heard over the Midlands Rail Hub project. Midlands Connect, which researches, develops and progresses transport projects for the region, has launched a survey to gather views on its flagship scheme to deliver better and more frequent rail connections across 30 locations, including Leicester.
It estimates more than 14 million seats would be added annually and now wants to hear from businesses in the East Midlands about how a better connected regional rail network would impact them.
The short survey can be completed at midlandsconnect.consultationonline.co.uk
boost region’s rail network
Dr Peter Dewhurst, director of strategic projects at the University of Derby, has been appointed the new chair of Business Peak District (BPD).
Board members agreed to invite Dr Dewhurst to take the position at the annual general meeting on 20 April following the announcement that Robin Eyre was stepping down as chair.
Robin had led BPD, a membership organisation that represents businesses in and around the Peak District, since July 2018. Among his many achievements have been a series of 23 well-attended BPD member webinars held between April 2020 and May 2021.
These were introduced partly as a response to the sense of isolation that many Peak District business owners were feeling at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and they proved to be a vital tool in disseminating business support information during a period of significant business challenge.
More recently, Robin led negotiations with the Chamber, which acts as the accountable body for BPD, to appoint Kate Kearns as a BPD support officer. Kate has had
an early impact, taking the lead in organising the Business Peak District 2023 Conference and Expo, which took place at the Crescent Hotel in Buxton on 30 March.
Dr Dewhurst said: “I would like to thank Robin for his outstanding
The two organisations responsible for leading on the promotion, marketing and development of the visitor economy in the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby have formed a partnership within a Government programme to establish a new structure for the tourism industry. Visit Peak District and Derbyshire, and Visit Derby, have come together as Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby to receive official local visitor economy partnership (LVEP) status from VisitEngland.
The LVEP programme is a new national portfolio of strategic and highperforming tourism bodies that work in collaboration with local, regional and national stakeholders on shared priorities to support and grow the visitor economy. LVEP accreditation recognises tourism bodies that can play a critical role in place-shaping, providing effective leadership and management of their destination, and ensuring the area is inclusive, accessible and sustainable for visitors both nationally and internationally.
The creation of LVEPs was part of the UK Government’s response to the recommendations of The De Bois Review to reshape destination management across England, reducing fragmentation and bringing coherence to its tourism landscape.
Jo Dilley, managing director of Visit Peak District and Derbyshire, said: “Having this official status will help us grow our visitor economy further, and will ensure the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby continues to be a compelling destination for both domestic and international visitors.”
leadership over the last five years, during which BPD membership has grown to 728 people, with a newsletter subscription list of 852.
“My aim will be to build on the foundations laid by Robin and, in collaboration with key partners, to
support both existing and future Peak District-based businesses to achieve their full potential, while helping to ensure a low-carbon and sustainable future for the economy of the Peak District.
“I also believe the current period is a time when there is a need for BPD to become a more visible champion and voice of businesses within the Peak District.”
Dr Dewhurst began his working life as co-founder of an import, wholesale and retail business with outlets in Manchester and London.
He subsequently moved into the higher education sector, taking on senior management roles first at the University of Wolverhampton and then at the University of Derby’s Buxton Campus.
As well as his role as director of strategic projects, he serves as a non-executive director on the Chamber’s board of directors and as chair of the Peak District Partnership.
The next BPD networking event takes place at Thornbridge Hall, in Ashford-in-the-Water, on 28 June from 5-9pm. Existing and potential new BPD members can book their place at www.businesspeak district.com/events
Enterprising Women cochairs Eileen Perry MBE DL and Jean Mountain reflect on the network’s May activity, and share the latest updates on the awards programme.
We were delighted to partner with Nottingham Trent University’s Dryden Enterprise Centre for a second time to deliver our May event – the Peer Share Puzzle.
Delegates were put into teams and tasked to collaborate to “open the box” by solving a series of puzzles. The event provided an alternative way to network through the exercise, and delegates had the opportunity to learn and share skillsets by working towards a common goal.
The exercise was designed to demonstrate how to find the fun in problem-solving, and the importance of collaboration and skills-sharing to support with navigating challenges. Our delegates were also able to pick up new tips and tricks along the way.
We’ve had another successful round of applications for the Enterprising Women Awards, and we’ve been blown away by the calibre of entries.
For our event on 8 June, we’ll be visiting Stapleford Park Hotel & Spa to announce the finalists for the awards. We’ll also hear from actor Melissa Johns, known for roles in TV dramas Grantchester and LIFE, who will expand on her experiences as an actress with a disability, and how to encourage greater diversity across all industries.
We’d like to extend a special thanks to headline sponsor Micheal Smith Switchgear, as well as other category sponsors She Inspires Global, Futures Housing Group, Nelsons, Fraser Stretton Property Group, Breedon Consulting, Unique Window Systems, Pick Everard, The Turnaround CEO and Paradigm Wills – including video sponsor AVIT Media and music sponsor PPL PRS.
, owner of Ask the Chameleon and winner of Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 at the Enterprising Women Awards, speaks to Jasmine Thompson about how the network’s events and awards programmes have supported her as a sole trader.
Rachel Hayward
What does your company do and what is your role within it?
I am the founder and MD of Ask the Chameleon, which is a procurement and business awards specialist consultancy, supporting small businesses and charities to gain exposure and growth through contracts, tenders, grant opportunities and business awards.
A total of £38m has been secured to date, and several prominent local, regional and national awards. A multi-award-winning consultancy in its own right, Ask the Chameleon was chosen as the British Business Awards Micro Business of the Year in 2022.
What challenges have you faced during your career and how did you overcome them to achieve your success?
Running a business is a challenge for any individual –male or female, solo or with others, with a team of people or just by yourself. I have faced a pandemic where my business was ineligible for Government support, and I grew that business by 74% in 12 months.
I secured the support of fellow business owners –and the Chamber – to create and run The Swap Shop network, a free-to-use B2B skills-swapping website for small businesses and charities.
I am HR by trade and worked for a considerable part of my employed career in the charity and social enterprise sector. The challenges I faced here prepared
me well for self-employment. You need the resilience and determination of a rhino, and the bouncebackability of a rubber ball. You need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and willing to ask for – and give – help.
How did it feel to win an Enterprising Women Award, and how has it impacted your career so far?
I was unbelievably proud and honoured to have won. I had applied twice previously and been shortlisted, which is important to know – not everyone wins first time.
To be judged by your peers is incredibly rewarding and humbling. The award propelled my business into the spotlight, and I have secured new customers as a result. It also gave me a confidence boost, especially as I work alone, and I met so many amazing women – and men – through the network.
What do you think is the main importance of networks, like Enterprising Women, for women in business?
Impactful and value-driven connections support our business life. While business is competitive, we do not know it all, nor do we need to, and to have the support of other businesspeople and their own connections around us makes all the difference.
DATE: 20 July
TIME: 2-4
COST: £25 + VAT
Nicki Robson, managing director at Breedon Consulting, will discuss strategies businesses can adopt to support employee health and wellbeing.
Netwalking social
DATE: 3 August
TIME: 12.30-2.30
COST: Free
Make new connections on a guided “netwalk” around Queen's Park in Chesterfield, with the opportunity for a picnic at the end.
Finalists for the inaugural East Midlands PA Awards have been revealed. The awards are part of the PA Forum, which is led by founder Daniel Skermer and the Chamber’s executive support manager and company secretary Lesley Young, and celebrate the achievements of executive and business support professionals. The Chamber is the headline partner and the awards ceremony will take place at Radisson Blu East Midlands on Friday 8 September 2023.
PA of the Year
• Amelia Bone, Eversheds Sutherland LLP
• Carly Baugh, Loughborough University
• Danielle Murray, KPMG LLP
• Jaede Todner, University of Leicester
• Julie Fessey, Leicester College
• Kelly Barton, Eversheds Sutherland LLP
• Laura Matthews, University of Leicester
• Laura Nevay, University of Leicester
• Lorraine Marsh, Shakespeare Martineau LLP
• Samantha Hayes, KPMG LLP
• Susan Ward, KPMG LLP
• Zoe Skidmore, University of Leicester
Administrative Professional of the Year
• Clark Summers, De Montfort University
• Daniel Barton, Eversheds Sutherland LLP
• Emma Keen, De Montfort University
• Michele Griffiths, DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited
• Millie Wilkinson, Eversheds Sutherland LLP
Lifetime Achievement Award
• Amrit Chaggar, Eversheds Sutherland LLP
• Kerry Elkins, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College
• Linda Allsop, University of Nottingham
• Liz Kozlowski, De Montfort University
• Lou Moore, De Montfort University
• Louise Scott, Competitive Edge Training and Consultancy
• Louise Smith, University of Leicester
• Sue Page, University of Leicester
• Suzanne Hucknall, University of Leicester
Rising Star Award
• Amy Fisher, Michael Smith Switchgear Limited
• Courtney Brindley, Express Recruitment
• Michela Villano, University of Nottingham
• Samantha Cloves, University of Leicester
Outstanding Achievement Award
• Amy Fisher, Michael Smith Switchgear Limited
• Elizabeth McKenzie, Leicester City Council
• Fleur Adshead, University of Nottingham
• Heather Allison, KPMG LLP
• Kelly Guice, University of Leicester
• Stacey Whyte, Holland and Barrett
• Sue Page, University of Leicester
Independent VA of the Year
• Danielle Thompson, Spinning Plates VA Service
• Katie Peggs, Bloom VA
• Jess Warr, The Virtual Colleagues
• Lucy Hicks, Lucy Hicks –Virtual Assistant
• Sarah Vincent, Admin Guru
Team of the Year
• Programme Co-ordination Team, Competitive Edge
• Graduation Team, De Montfort University
• Facilities Team, Eversheds Sutherland LLP
• JSP Virtual
• Research and Innovation Administration Team, Loughborough University
• Global Business Operations Team, University of Leicester
• External Relations Department, University of Nottingham
• Business Administration Team, ARUP
To attend or support the awards, contact Daniel Skermer on daniel@pa-forum.co.uk or Lesley Young on lesley.young@emc-dnl.co.uk
A significant investment in machinery and support from the Business Gateway Growth Hub is helping kitchen and bedroom manufacturer Interiors by Design fight back in difficult trading conditions.
The Wigston-based independent company has taken advantage of support available to build resilience and grow, despite rising rents, rates and all other costs.
After getting in touch with Business Gateway, which is partfunded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by a partnership including the Chamber, he received support from business adviser Joanna Moore.
She helped the company to successfully apply for a £25,000 grant, which was put towards a total £90,000 investment in purchasing a vertical CNC machine, which manufactures products based on pre-programmed computer software, and an edge bander to cover exposed edges of materials.
Director Mohammed Essajee said: “The new machinery is more accurate – we’re saving time and it has improved efficiency.
“Whereas in the past we’d complete one or two kitchens a week, now we can do four or five, probably more. It’s a matter of generating more business now.
“Jo’s also helping with a threeyear plan and has put us in touch with high-growth specialist Stuart Ross to take us to the next level.”
Mohammed runs Interiors by Design with fellow director Simon Colebourne. They first met when Simon and his dad Neil, who were kitchen fitters for furniture retailer
MFI, would come in for supplies from Mohammed’s family DIY shop. When MFI closed, they approached Mohammed to set up a kitchen design and installation business at his prime high-street location. The company has grown from a tiny showroom above the DIY shop into the premises next door, while adding a workshop in South Wigston with new machinery. Today it designs, manufactures and installs kitchens and bedrooms, as well as supplies to other showrooms, fitters and housebuilders, giving them both retail and trade business.
Mohammed said: “Things were ticking along but we got to the stage in 2020 when we said we needed to go for it. But everything at the workshop was being done by hand. It was restricting our growth and limiting capacity.”
Since being supported by Business Gateway – which has included receiving advice, attending peer-to-peer sessions and enrolling on courses – the company has grown from three to seven people and is looking to add two more.
Joanna added: “Despite current economic challenges, Interiors by Design has ambitions to keep growing. “It is a great example of a business that has taken advantage of the Business Gateway by using our services as and when needed. We’ve worked together on the financial side including cash flow forecasting, which is particularly important right now.”
To find out more about Business Gateway support, visit www.bizgateway.org.uk
Growth Hub helps install confidence for interiors firm
By Vicki Thompson
Eof leaders and managers to ensure departments and teams work efficiently towards meeting goals and objectives.
To become an effective and respected leader, those in management positions need possess a broad range of transferable skills – from delegation, problem solving and organisation, to compassion, strong communication and assertiveness.
The Chamber’s commercial training service offers multiple courses which can help develop and refresh skills relevant to roles in management.
DATE: 16 June
TIME: 9.30-4.30
COST: £245 + VAT
Provides delegates with the skills and knowledge to identify and evaluate a range of options towards solving problems within the workplace. Content is designed to help people think creatively to bring about improvements and overcome obstacles within their job role.
DATE: 19 June
TIME: 9.30-4.30
COST: £245 + VAT
Delegates will gain an understanding of the legal and procedural aspects of performance management. It gives managers and leaders the confidence and knowledge to use a full range of corrective actions to manage the performance team members.
The course is a helpful refresher for more experienced managers, as well as new ones, to bring them up to date on legislation and procedural changes, and to check methods against best practice.
DATE: 28-29 June
TIME: 9.30-4.30
COST: £475 + VAT
An introduction to the key aspects of team leading, this course is suitable for aspiring or existing team leaders, supervisors or managers
up-to-date techniques and good practice in managing teams and individuals. It provides an opportunity for delegates to consider their performance and identify areas to improve.
DATE: 30 June
TIME: 9.30-4.30
COST: £245 + VAT
Equips delegates with the key behaviours and tools to influence and persuade others, in order to get the most from the expertise within a team. It covers how to analyse situations, power relationships and barriers, as well as strategies to deal with them successfully.
effectiveness
DATE: 17 July
TIME: 9.30-4.30
COST: £245 + VAT
Provides tools and techniques for delegates to evaluate and adjust their behaviours to appear more assertive in their discussions with others in the workplace.
Find the latest courses at www.emcdnl.co.uk/services/personal-development
*Prices for Chamber members
DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Further assisting leaders and managers from across the East Midlands, the Chamber offers courses accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management.
Delivered by Nottingham-based Challenge Consulting, the nationally-recognised qualifications cover multiple levels, and demonstrate a delegate’s ability to deal with multi-faceted projects within a first-line management role.
The course is delivered in an interactive format, and requires a real-life project to be undertaken to bring about improvements within an organisation.
To browse the latest courses, visit www.emcdnl.co.uk/events and apply the format filter “training course” and subject filter “leadership & management”.
The Chamber’s flagship director development programme is designed for individuals who want to support and grow their business, or the department they lead. The objective is to equip them with the skills and confidence needed to achieve objectives that will ultimately drive the business forward.
Delivered as a five-day modular programme, it covers the following topic headings:
• Developing vision, values and strategy
• Planning and direction
• Finance for non-finance directors
• People management approaches
• Driving performance and leading change
The next programme starts on 27 September and is delivered by course trainer Charles Barnascone at the Chamber’s office at NG2 Business Park, in Nottingham. It costs £1,450 + VAT for Chamber members and £1,850 + VAT for non-members. For more information, visit bit.ly/DDPSep23
The East Midlands Manufacturing Network can offer peer-to-peer support for manufacturers looking to find answers to issues affecting the industry, says Vicki Thompson.
Currently, manufacturers are plagued with a number of uncertainties – from cashflow concerns and export opportunities through the Windsor Framework, to energy bills and the matter of attracting new talent.
Often, answers to issues can be found by engaging with others in a common sector and tapping into local support, advice, resources and funding. The East Midlands Manufacturing Network offers just that, now boasting a membership of 150 businesses.
Manufacturing leaders who have attended a network meeting will know we marry a guest expert speaker slot with an informal open forum, offering the chance for learning, exchange of best practice and support in helping find solutions to current challenges.
The meetings are always attended by representatives from Make UK, and feedback from network members helps shape policy in this area. They are held on university campuses across the region, with university staff on hand to talk about the latest tailored manufacturing support on offer.
Manufacturers are invited to attend whichever date and location suits best, irrespective of their location. Meetings are typically held over breakfast, starting at 7.30am and ending no later than 10am.
To find out more and to book your place at an upcoming meeting, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/emmn
A decorated journalist will be the keynote speaker at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner on Thursday 29 June.
Charlotte Ivers, who is a political correspondent for Times Radio and columnist for The Sunday Times, will deliver a thought-provoking speech on the global economic climate, providing a unique perspective on how businesses can navigate the challenges and drive growth.
Charlotte began her career working as media operations officer at 10 Downing Street, a role in which she organised the Prime Minister’s media opportunities. After working in this role for a year, she then became a political correspondent for talkRADIO and the political correspondent for Wireless Group.
Since joining Times Radio in 2021, she has reported on a variety of pressing political issues – having spoken with dignitaries such as Lord Richards, Lord Ricketts and Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey.
The Annual Dinner is the premier formal evening in the Chamber’s event calendar. The evening brings together prominent business leaders from across the East Midlands to reflect on the past year and look to the future, while allowing ample opportunity to socialise over a fine dining experience.
Chamber president Stuart Dawkins will deliver the opening address and speak about his chosen charities for the year – Foundation Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Community
Foundation, and Nottinghamshire Community Foundation
The event takes place on 29 June at the East Midlands Conference Centre, within the University of Nottingham’s University Park campus, from 7pm.
Tickets cost £95 for members and £140 for nonmembers, with a table rate available for members at £900, and can be purchased from bit.ly/EMCAnnualDinner23
Winners will be announced at the event, which forms the annual centrepiece of the Chamber’s network for young professionals and business leaders aged 18 to 35.
The event, which is open to adults of all ages, does not assume the typical format of an awards ceremony, with a shorter ceremony to maximise socialising and networking opportunities.
It will also feature live music from a local DJ, a selection of street food options from vendors at the venue, arcade games and stalls for young business owners to showcase their work.
Broadcast journalist, reporter and TV presenter Kirsty Shelts, who currently presents Manchester United’s MUTV, will be hosting the event.
Lucy Robinson, the Chamber’s director of resources and Generation Next project lead, said: “We are thrilled to be taking our awards ceremony back to Bustler Market to build on the success of last year’s event.
“We welcomed more than 200 people to the venue last year and received some fantastic feedback on the relaxed atmosphere at Bustler.
“This year, alongside awarding another cohort of outstanding winners, we’re introducing opportunities for young people in the area to showcase their businesses in the event space –which will include a range of business ideas including arts and crafts, clothing and merchandise – to really highlight the range of young business talent we have in the region.
“Our Generation Next team can’t wait to make new connections at the event, as well as meet our finalists and their supporters. We wish the best of luck to them all.”
Tickets cost £65 for Generation Next members and £75 for non-members. They include a £20 drinks voucher and a meal from Bustler’s street food vendors. Purchased at bit.ly/GNAwards2023
‘Our Generation Next team can’t wait to make new connections at the event’Journalist Charlotte Ivers is our keynote speaker
Since the Government announced changes to broaden the legislation around extended producer responsibility (EPR) last year, there has been conversation on who it will impact. James Butcher (pictured), CEO at Supply Pilot, says that while the principles behind the legislation are sound, there could be serious consequences for businesses behind the curve with their data collection processes.
Following extensive consultation, the Government announced a reform to its existing packaging waste regulations to make more producers responsible for the full net cost of managing packaging once it becomes waste.
This means that from the second half of this year, any packaging business with an annual turnover of £1m or more that was responsible for more than 25 tonnes of packaging in 2022, will be legally required to collect and report data on its packaging’s environmental impact.
What this means on a practical level is that packaging manufacturers essentially need to pay for the real cost of what they create.
The thinking behind implementing this is twofold – it balances the books at a governmental level in terms of the responsibility for waste disposal being more equally shared, and it drives behavioural change, theoretically making manufacturers more aware of what they are doing and pushing them towards more sustainable practices.
The consensus within wider industry is this approach is the right way to go, and will accelerate the journey towards being more sustainable in a way that previous EPR initiatives simply didn’t have the teeth to do.
packaging tax – it also has the potential to have an almost terminal impact on some businesses.
The danger is some types of packaging – such as certain types of yoghurt pots – have such a substantial environmental impact that the cost of ensuring they are responsibly recycled is astronomical. If this cost is then having to be passed on to the customer, the likelihood is the food manufacturer is going to stop using said packaging, resulting in what amounts to a “shadow ban”.
So, while the new, stronger EPR legislation has been seen in some quarters as enhanced reporting – that will resort in small price increases equating to something similar to last year’s plastic
In the long run, the ongoing effects of EPR legislation will be a net positive for the packaging industry, not least because of the UK’s well-earned reputation as a progressive innovator in developing alternative means of packaging goods. However, it will have far-reaching and potentially unknown effects in the short term, particularly as businesses learn how to adapt to the impacts increased shelf prices have on consumer behaviour.
The industry is currently in a moment of flux as we wait and see what impact the impending legislation has – and how quickly it happens –but what is clear is the scope of EPR is only going to grow over time.
There will either be higher targets for manufacturers to hit, or higher penalties for not hitting them, so they need to be looking at how to get ahead of the game and make their wares as environmentally friendly as possible, even if they don’t necessarily fall within the lower limits of the incoming legislation.
‘The industry is currently in a moment of flux as we wait and see what impact the impending legislation has’
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have received £2m in funding to create a “oneof-a-kind” smart energy grid.
The DC microgrid, which will be installed between two buildings on the Jubilee campus, will use multiple energy storage technologies to reduce the site’s energy bill and enable many of its testing activities to achieve net zero.
The Future Energy Efficiency with DC Microgrid Technologies (FEED-MT) project aims to feed energy to the Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) building to use renewable energy sources and flatten energy demand spikes when high load testing is taking place, store hydrogen for use by the Research Acceleration and Demonstration (RAD) building,
and act as a self-contained, low-carbon power network.
The grid will be made up of multiple solar panels stored either in batteries, or via an electrolyser and converted to hydrogen that is stored. When extra demand is required, the battery will be able to feed the PEMC or convert hydrogen to electricity via a fuel cell that forms part of the microgrid. In addition, stored hydrogen will be fed directly for use by the RAD building as well.
Professor Pat Wheeler, head of the PEMC research group at the university, said: “As one of the first institutions to bring these different elements of energy storage together in this way, we’re keen to educate others in the sector.”
Designing and building low-carbon websites is the strategy of a Derbyshire creative agency in its mission to play a role in fighting against climate change.
MacMartin, based in Church Broughton, is advising clients on how to create energyefficient websites. Steps that can lower online carbon emissions include compressing images and ensuring they are the right size, not using autoplay video that starts when a site uploads, removing unnecessary downloads and restricting font types.
Co-founder and director Claire MacDonald said the average website size had grown from 803kb in 2012 to 2,284kb in 2022, a 284% increase.
“We really believe, and can demonstrate, that low-carbon websites perform just as well as high-energy ones, if not better,” she added.
“And we also think there are other benefits – ask most people what they find annoying about websites and they will often say it’s frustrating when they have to wade through endless information or watch pop-up videos they didn’t ask for. Low-carbon websites are about paring back on unnecessary information and gimmicks, and just creating smooth-running pages that give people what they need with a great user experience. We can still provide stunning-looking sites, without it costing the earth.”
The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Business Gateway Growth Hub has joined forces with Santander to offer an exclusive package of products to local export businesses.
Exporters in Leicestershire will gain free access to Santander Navigator, a digital portal that supports the needs of export businesses, from start-ups through to seasoned exporters managing complex shipments.
It is the first local enterprise partnership in the UK to offer the access to Santander Navigator –and will enable companies to explore opportunities in new markets around the world, find potential export partners, streamline customs processes, and overcome bureaucracy and regulatory challenges.
The platform also details steps needed to get products to international markets, offers insights and training for employees and new exporters, and sets out various shipping options and discounts.
Access to the portal typically costs £1,800 annually, but the Growth Hub pilot scheme allows businesses to use it for free for 12 months from their sign-up date.
Sonia Baigent, LLEP board member and chair of the business board, said: “Exporting is one of the key challenges facing local businesses, which is why we were keen to join forces with Santander and offer this opportunity.
“It means local businesses will have access to events and training, support with logistics, a directory of providers, and a community of others in similar situations.
“We hope that this will facilitate collaboration needed to help locally-based businesses boost their exporting offer and help them grow into international markets.”
LLEP-referred businesses will also qualify for the third tier Santander Navigator Grow at a discounted rate.
Nottingham-based freight forwarder 512 Ltd supports a range of businesses to export goods around the world. Business development manager Liam Brown (pictured) speaks to Business Network about the company’s international trade operations and how the Chamber has supported it for more than 20 years.
Location: Nottingham
Number of employees: Four
Spokesperson: Liam Brown, business development manager
What does your company do?
We are a freight forwarder looking after a multitude of clients in various industries. We cover all modes of transport and operate import, export and cross trades. We have been trading for almost 30 years, and are continuously growing and expanding our expertise and knowledge of the logistics sector.
What does your international trade operation involve?
Shipping consignments all over the world, we help clients to achieve smooth and reliable transport for their goods whether it be in the UK, EU or worldwide.
On a day-to-day basis, we can see anything from fake tan to Second World War planes. No two days are the same, and we handle an array of different shipments.
Which are your biggest markets and how would you compare your relationships and approaches between each of these? Our strongest markets change every once in a while, but currently our Chinese imports and dedicated same-day routes are our biggest markets.
We work closely with various agents for our Chinese imports and the service is noncomparable, as we continuously try to improve it. Our dedicated department is our newest area, but it is growing at rapid pace. We support our clients and drivers to the highest regard to ensure everyone in the full line of communication is happy.
How have the events of the past couple of years affected your importing and exporting activity?
In all honesty, we thought it might have crippled the industry but, as a whole, we are much busier.
The past couple of years have been challenging for most industries but throughout it all, we have remained open, kept up to date with events, rules and regulations, and been there to support our clients at every turn. It puts us is good stead now that everyone is getting back on their feet with importing and exporting their goods.
What made you turn to the Chamber for support and how has this helped? We’ve worked with the Chamber for more than 20 years now, and it continues to support us and gives us multiple business opportunities.
DATE: 13 July
TIME: 9-12.30
COST: £160 + VAT
Learn how to maximise VAT and duty relief from imports outside the EU. Inward processing allows companies to obtain duty relief on goods moving cross-border, whereas outward processing allows businesses to temporarily export outside the EU, for processing or repairs.
Customs declaration
DATE: 7 June
TIME: 9-2
COST: £349 + VAT
Learn how to accurately produce a customs declaration or check one being produced by a customs agent for your company
Rules of origin
DATE: 13 June
TIME: 9-12.30
COST: £160 + VAT
Learn about the certifications required by customs officials around the world to demonstrate the origin of a product, which determines how tariffs are decided
Authorised economic operator
DATE: 15 June
TIME: 9-12
COST: £160 + VAT
Learn how to achieve authorised economic operator (AEO) the “trusted trader” status.
Customs special procedures
DATE: 15 June
TIME: 1-4
COST: £160 + VAT
It’s a great source and has played a pivotal part of helping 512 grow and expand. The team at the Chamber has helped us is many areas such as documentation, international trade courses and customs clearances. We have built up a great relationship with the team over the years and will continue to do so for years to come.
Introduction to the facilitations offered on customs requirements by HMRC to help speed up the movement of goods in and out of the UK, and help save money.
The Windsor Framework
DATE: 27 June
TIME: 9-12.30
COST: £194 + VAT
Learn about the difficulties with the Northern Ireland Protocol, the solutions that are being proposed and how they may impact business.
Understanding commodity coding
DATE: 4 July
TIME: 9-12
COST: £160 + VAT
Navigate the complex and difficult international system for coding products for customs purposes.
Customs procedures and documentations
DATE: 16 July
TIME: 9-3.30
COST: £285 + VAT
Learn about details such as the critical data required for a customs declaration or the legal responsibilities of the importer and exporter.
*Prices listed are exclusively for East Midlands Chamber members Book on to courses at bit.ly/EMCinternationaltraining
By Simon Ashworth (pictured), director of policy at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)
The development of a Collective Intelligence Skills Observatory (CISO) by the Chamber is an exciting development – and could revolutionise how skills programmes are developed and delivered.
It is a vital part of the work within the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Leicester and Leicestershire, for which the Chamber is currently leading on the development.
A central role of the LSIP is, of course, to evidence demand for skills from employers in the local area – and this is where the innovative approach set out by the Chamber comes into its own.
Instead of opting for traditional methods of surveying businesses, it has engaged them through a mobile app. This has involved asking employers daily what was important to them when it came to their people, what the most important knowledge were areas to them, the most valuable skills and the key behaviours they needed in their staff.
Run over the course of six weeks, these daily questions have given the LSIP an ability to run an ongoing process through testing different ideas and exploring various solutions that usual data research methods wouldn’t allow.
The result is a data set that will be a rich resource for those seeking to understand the skills landscape in each of the areas it covers. This focus on knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements rather than traditional job roles is flexible, and offers a more future-proofed approach for job roles that have yet to be even invented.
For LSIPs to be a success, training providers must be able to play their part in developing solutions to meet the skills needs for the local area. That’s why the creation of the CISO is so important.
Training providers will be able to derive significant benefits, using the CISO to further their understanding the needs of local businesses as they develop their programmes accordingly. As a result, I would urge providers to look at – and engage with – the new CISO as the LSIP process develops.
The skills observatory is set to become a really good tool for understanding the demand for skills across the region and this work builds on the work fantastic work the Chamber is already doing. It should be applauded for its leading role as a true trailblazer and, in fact, supporting our regions with their data requirements too.
Insight Unlocked is a new online dashboard built by the Chamber and its partners to host a Collective Intelligence Skills Observatory, which was borne out of a Government-backed pilot programme to create a new data-driven approach in skills development that brings employers, educators and training providers closer together. Director of policy and insight Chris Hobson (pictured) explains how making the data useful can lead to a step change in how skills programmes are delivered.
Since Autumn last year, the Chamber has been leading on the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Leicester and Leicestershire, with the final plan submitted at the end of May this year. Similar plans are being developed across the rest of England, with the Federation of Small Business leading activity in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
In a nutshell, LSIPs have been introduced by the Department for Education as an attempt to bridge the gap – real and perceived – between what employers need from their workforce and what’s on offer from local educators.
It’s not a new concept – local skills strategies have been produced by LEPs, local authorities and others for decades now – but the hope is that placing employers at the heart of the work will help ensure meaningful change as a result.
Whether or not that’s where we end up, time will tell. However, we’re really excited to have taken a different approach to this task, developing some great partnerships with education providers through the process and generating different insights than perhaps has been gained in the past.
So what’s been the approach to engaging businesses? Well rather radically (for a Chamber), we opted against sending out a big survey or conducting a series of focus groups, and instead explored other ways of learning what businesses need – taking the idea that if you ask the same old question, you’ll get the same old answer, and nothing will really change.
We did this by engaging businesses using a mobile app, asking them for a daily response on what was important to them when it came to their people – what were the most important knowledge areas to them, the most valuable skills and the key behaviours they needed in their staff.
We also asked about the way they prefer to access training and development opportunities, how they work with providers and what the main drivers were when it came to recruitment, training and development. The daily questions –which ran over six weeks – meant we could build on what people had told us, test different ideas and explore solutions in a fashion that traditional surveying just doesn’t allow.
The results from this – plus wider analysis of other existing data sources around job adverts, occupation projections and qualification levels –can all be found on our new Collective Intelligence Skills Observatory (or CISO for short), which can be found at a website called Insight Unlocked.
The collection of this data has all been automated, meaning when the datasets update, the charts update. The principle driving this work is a focus on taking interesting data and making it useful. But useful to who? Essentially, we could do all the data-gathering and analysis in the
This has been an authentic collaboration between the Chamber, education providers, employers and key sector stakeholders to co-construct a plan and tool that address the development of relevant education provision to support the sustainability and growth of local businesses.
The Chamber and partners involved in the LSIP trailblazer took an opportunity to do something different and innovative, putting employer voice and learning at the heart of a novel tool to engage businesses in education curation.
Combining existing sector data with the daily information from local businesses via an app provides a unique, dynamic data set. The guidance from the Chamber and partners to CISO users, especially colleges and businesses, on how to understand this data, as well as a commitment between colleges to work collectively to look at how they meet local need, has driven the positive impact of this work.
Now in its second year, development has focused on the quality and accessibility of data, recognising the need for there to be user-friendly entry points and simple navigation tools.
world, but it wouldn’t count for anything if it didn’t then lead to real change. For that reason, we’ve been talking to those people we want to use the data – businesses, colleges, training providers, young people and others – asking them about the decisions they’re making, how they make them, and how they would prefer to access this information in order to support them to make better informed decisions. We’ve reflected their feedback in the development of the CISO and will continue to refine it over the coming months.
The approach taken has also been one of partnership. Working with individual colleges, training providers, businesses, Jobcentre Plus, business representation organisations, local authorities and more.
This means the recommendations coming out of the work, while business-led, are landing in the real world, cognisant of the realities of providing education and training, or running a business. As a result, this will hopefully lead to pragmatic and tangible change that can make a real difference for businesses, their employees and their prospective employees.
As for the recommendations themselves, well at the time of writing they’re still being finalised – in consultation with the partners mentioned above. However, by this point you’ll be able to find them embedded on the CISO, in the same place as the evidence that underlies them.
Hopefully demonstrating that if you put something different in at the front end, you get something different – and potentially transformational – out the other.
Visit the new CISO at www.insight-unlocked.co.uk
The currency of the CISO helps colleges to identify local skills needs in a timely way, supporting the development of a responsive and relevant curriculum. Fundamental to this collaboration between education and business is a common language and understanding of “skills need”.
A focus on knowledge, skills and behaviours, aligned with existing qualification standards, has enabled a meaningful articulation of local demand. It also ensures the conversation isn’t limited to addressing current vacancies in a locality, but rather builds a medium and long-term view of local business needs to recruit and retain a skilled workforce.
The Leicester & Leicestershire LSIP has been co-developed with colleges to ensure it is in tune with the academic delivery cycle, regulation and accountability processes in order to support education providers to meet new requirements placed on them.
Colleges already work with a vast number of employers, but the data provided by the CISO and the focus on “local” in the LSIP has provided opportunities for colleges to have a wider reach with businesses – to be able to have a more nuanced conversation, a genuine look at skills needs, with opportunities to work in partnership to address current and future local workforce needs.
‘We’ve been talking to those people we want to use the data – businesses, colleges, training providers, young people and others’
It is impossible to underestimate the personal, emotional or financial implications of a robbery, break-in or theft. So it’s no surprise that security is one of the main concerns of any business owner or manager. If you haven’t taken the right steps to keep intruders out, your business premises – and your staff –could be vulnerable. So, what can you do to improve the security of your premises? Business Network offers some tips.
RISK ASSESSMENT
This is the first step. Take a critical look, identify any weak areas and consult with staff to see what they think could be improved upon.
PROTECT YOURSELF, STAFF AND CUSTOMERS
Ensure that only nominated members of staff hold keys to your workplace and check regularly that no keys are missing. If any are, immediately change your locks.
Staff should know how to lock up the premises and who to call if there are any security issues, such as the alarm not setting. Train your staff to recognise suspicious behaviour and to challenge any stranger who enters the premises. Provide security training and make sure everyone knows what to do in the event of a serious threat.
STRENGTHEN ENTRY POINTS
There are likely to be a number of entrances to your premises – and other ways of getting into your property.
Consider all possible avenues that intruders might use to enter your premises and introduce measures to minimise vulnerability.
Installing solid doors and windows and fitting them with secure, anti-snap locks is one option and ensure they are locked when the building is empty. External shutters are another possibility, particularly on any windows or doors that are especially vulnerable.
CCTV is an excellent way to monitor access points, while a good alarm system is a must – you may find your insurance premiums reduce, too.
SECURITY LIGHTING
Three-quarters of burglaries occur in the evening, so security lighting is an effective means of deterring criminals. When positioned strategically, it can cover a wide area.
Effective fencing, strong security gates, security lighting and a secure car park can help to prevent intrusions and provide a visual deterrent. However, it’s a fine balance between securing your premises and making it look like a prison. Don’t put off customers and potential employees by making your premises look like a fortress.
CCTV and alarm systems are must-haves for any business serious about protecting its people and property. Get expert advice so you install the best type for your needs. Change the alarm codes regularly, too.
Investing in remote monitoring means you know what’s happening to your business even when you’re not there. Once an intruder is detected, the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) will contact and notify your nominated key holder or the appropriate emergency service.
Background checks before you employ someone can help to prevent employee theft, while a signing in and out system, or visitor pass system, helps you to keep track of everyone who enters and leaves your premises.
Carry out regular property and equipment audits. Secure laptops, tablets and devices in a secure, out-of-sight location. If money is left onsite, it should be secured in a safe.
If necessary, fit your computers with alarms that detect tampering and record all the serial numbers. You could also secure expensive equipment to floors or walls.
Being organised will help you to identify any discrepancies in your stock count. Keep on top of paperwork and question excessive voids, credits or damage claims. Install CCTV in areas where stock is stored as a deterrent to would-be opportunist thieves.
Make it obvious that your building is well secured, as it could deter potential intruders.
Repair any breakages to doors, windows, or the roof as soon as possible and encourage staff to report potential threats/vulnerabilities.
Keep in contact with other local businesses to find out if they have had any break-ins or security breaches.
The Chamber, for example, manages the Derbyshire Crime Reduction Partnership, which enables businesses and police to remain in close contact with each other regarding security issues.
Act quickly and reconsider your security. Do not do the same thing as before because the thieves know your systems and the equipment you will be replacing.
Undertake a security audit at least once a year and always remain open to suggestions from your staff about how you can better protect your business.
By Lucy
Digitalisation refers to the process of integrating digital technologies and strategies into various aspects of a business or organisation.
It involves leveraging digital tools, systems, and processes to automate, streamline and enhance existing business operations, as well as to create new digital experiences and opportunities.
Digitalisation impacts various aspects of an organisation, including operations, marketing, sales, customer service, supply chain, communication and more.
It is an ongoing journey that requires a strategic approach and continuous adaptation to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. But how can it benefit your business?
Digitising your business increases accessibility by making information, products and services readily available. Employees can access information easily, work remotely, and collaborate seamlessly. In comparison, using hard paper copies in your organisation means documents will be more difficult to share with others.
Customers will benefit from online portals, allowing them to access accounts and make purchases anytime, anywhere. Communication is enhanced through online tools, facilitating realtime collaboration. By digitising your business, you expand your reach beyond physical limitations, tapping into a global talent pool and customer base.
By adopting digital tools, you are able to streamline and automate various processes, ensuring better adherence to regulatory requirements and internal policies.
Digital systems can provide robust documentation and audit trails, making it less complicated to track and monitor compliance activities.
Additionally, digitisation allows for the implementation of stronger data security measures, protecting sensitive information and reducing the risk of data breaches.
Digital platforms also enable better recordkeeping, simplifying compliance reporting and facilitating timely and accurate submissions.
Converting physical documents and files into a digital format means you can eliminate the need for physical storage space, such as filing cabinets and warehouses. This can free up valuable office space that can be repurposed for more practical uses, while also reducing the risk of loss or damage to important documents, as digital files can be backed up and stored securely.
An added advantage of this is it contributes to environmental sustainability. By reducing paper consumption, enterprises can lower their carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly practices, whereby digitising documents reduces paper waste.
Encryption: Digital documents can be encrypted, rendering them unreadable to unauthorised parties. Encryption protects sensitive data both during transmission and storage, safeguarding it from interception which can lead to cyber attacks or theft.
Audit trails: Digitisation using software generates detailed audit trails, recording user activities such as document access, modifications, and sharing. Audit trails help with monitoring and investigating any suspicious or unauthorised activities.
Compliance and regulatory requirements: Digital systems enable easier adherence to compliance standards and regulations. They provide the ability to implement privacy controls and data retention policies to ensure compliance with industry-specific requirements.
Professional document storage: Where digital document storage isn’t viable, document storage offers impactful solutions including the shredding, storage, and scanning of business and personal documents. They safeguard sensitive information, offer secure facilities for document preservation, protection against data breaches, ensure regulatory compliance, and streamline document management processes.
These services empower businesses to optimise operations and maintain a competitive edge in the digital landscape and are a diligent way to keep your physical documents while also digitising your business.
Digital documents and data can be stored securely with access controls, encryption and regular back-ups, reducing the risk of unauthorised access, loss or damage.
Personal physical documents that are managed poorly are prone to theft, fire and even extreme natural disasters, while digital copies can be protected with multiple layers of security measures. This can include:
Many advantages arise from incorporating digital techniques and procedures into your business operations. These technologies will facilitate new opportunities for increased production, growth, efficiency and success.
Ultimately, digitising your business empowers you to adapt to the evolving digital landscape, enhancing security, reducing costs, and delivering exceptional experiences to both your employees and customers.
Embrace the most of the digital era and allow your business to reach new heights by starting on your digitisation journey today.
The pandemic had a profound impact on our lives in many ways but arguably its biggest legacy will be found in the concept of work – how and where we do our jobs, as well as the ability or desire to work at all. Dan Robinson looks into the issue of “missing workers” amid record levels of economic inactivity and measures that could help plug huge gaps in the labour market.
Eighteen months ago, the concept of economic inactivity was discussed by a subset of individuals with skin in the game. But amid one of the tightest labour markets ever encountered by businesses, it has jumped from the pages of academic papers and economist briefings to become a fixture in mainstream media headlines, with a growing realisation of how it relates to many aspects of our lives.
The term describes the number of working-age people who have dropped out of the labour market for a myriad of reasons such as early retirement, caring duties, studying or long-term ill health.
Ultimately, though, a low unemployment rate – which is usually celebrated as a success of Government work policies – only tells part of the story, believes Naomi Clayton, deputy director at The Learning & Work Institute.
“The Government will often be happy to quote those low unemployment rates but in terms of what’s happened in the labour market in the East Midlands over the course of
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show East Midlands economic inactivity was 18.7% in the January to March 2020 period, on the eve of national lockdown. The pandemic and its after effects has sparked a gradual rise, with economic inactivity peaking at 22.7% in October to December 2022, although it has since come down to 21.4% in the latest figures.
At the same time, the East Midlands unemployment rate dropped to record lows of 2.4% a year ago and while it has crept back up to 3.7%, these figures remain below both the national average and the region’s own expected level.
‘There are fewer people who are in the labour market, whether they are in work or looking for work’
The Learning and Work Institute makes five recommendations on how to reduce economic inactivity and plug labour market shortages:
1. Invest in social infrastructure like health and social care, childcare, and transport in order to raise the employment rate from 76% to 80%, the highest in the G7, over the next decade – bringing 1.7 million people into the labour market and boosting the economy by £23bn
2. Policy must recognise the diversity of people who are out of work, avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions
3. Expand access to “mid-life MOTs”, widen eligibility to employment programmes like Restart and help employers understand how to tailor their recruitment and job design
4. Improve Government support and incentives for people to work, including better retraining support for those switching careers
5. Employers should think about how they recruit, design jobs and help people stay in work – with the Government encouraged to work with local employer groups like Chambers of Commerce to share best practice, promote its Access to Work scheme and provide financial support for businesses to provide occupational health support.
the pandemic, the more significant change is the increase in people who are economically inactive,” she says.
“This means there are fewer people who are in the labour market, whether they are in work or looking for work, which impacts on those individuals but also businesses and their ability to recruit because it has created significant labour shortages.”
Over the course of the past 18 months, the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey has shown roughly two-thirds of East Midlands businesses attempting to recruit, and four in five of that cohort struggling to fill vacancies.
The economic inactivity problem is compounded by difficulties in accessing overseas talent since the UK left the European Union. The UK has reported the biggest fall in employment rate – which measures the proportion of available labour resources in jobs – in the G7 since 2020, albeit from a relatively high base, and the consequences of these issues are also clear.
A lack of available workers has placed a lid on capacity, constraining firms’ ability to beat inflationary pressures by improving productivity.
Given companies are being hit by rising costs from all cylinders – including energy prices, fuel, raw materials and interest rates – a dwindling talent pool has made people a premium and driven up labour costs too.
But why has this become such a big problem right now and is it purely a result of the pandemic?
IN FEBRUARY, THE Learning & Work Institute (LWI) – an independent policy, research and development organisation whose mission includes realising “full employment” –published a dedicated study into this very topic, titled Missing workers: Understanding trends in economic inactivity.
It reports that economic inactivity has increased by about 600,000 during the pandemic to encompass nine million people – or 6.5 million, 16% of the population, once students are excluded.
A large rise in early retirement for older people is cited as a key driver, although this only accounts for one in five labour market exits.
Similarly, one in five people who have left the workforce in the past two years say they would like to work, and the LWI found the most common reason now for not working is long-term sickness, with the latest ONS figures showing this affected more than 400,000 people.
While such trends may be linked to the impact of the pandemic on people’s health and a bottleneck in NHS waiting lists, there is another issue that existed long before Covid-19 arrived on the agenda.
Naomi, who co-authored the report with Stephen Evans and Lovedeep Vaid, explains: “Our research looked at the longer-term picture of what’s happening in the labour market.
“It showed that because we have an ageing population, 1.4 million more people will retire in the next 13 years than the number of young people who will enter the workforce.
“So there is a longer-term issue where we essentially have a shrinking labour market and also, in part because of the ageing population, we have more people reporting long-term health conditions.”
Retirement projections have caused concern for many years and the latest data into demographic trends backs this up. The population is ageing, with the majority of the baby boomer generation due to retire in the 2020s, and low birth rates bringing fewer young people into the labour market in future decades.
This means that while there were 3.5 workers nationally for every retired person in the 2010s, this has fallen to 2.9 during the current decade and is expected to drop further to 2.4 and 2.3 in the 2030s and 2040s respectively.
“An ageing population and smaller future workforce compared to the wider population are longer-term issues we would be facing regardless of the pandemic,” says Naomi.
Other forces are at play, however, when it comes to the UK’s slow employment recovery. The UK and US were the only G7 countries to have not returned to
Employment law is fast moving, so it’s important to stay ahead of the latest developments to be legally compliant and manage risk, while demonstrating a commitment to employees’ needs. Fiona Powell (pictured), director at law firm Freeths who specialises in employment law, highlights focus areas for businesses.
Post-Covid, wellbeing remains a key area of focus for employers – helpfully, new ACAS guidance is available. Guidance on “reasonable adjustments for mental health” includes obtaining advice from occupational health, agreeing a plan with an employee, and trialling and reviewing adjustments.
“Managing work-related stress” guidance provides key signs for an employer to spot stress, and again focuses on the support and preventative measures to avoid work-related stress. This includes carrying out risk assessments and working with employees to remove and reduce stress. What does this mean for you? Review these guidelines and your policies in light of the recommendations. We would suggest this feeds into your training for managers and senior management.
Flexible working also remains high on the agenda. The Government has confirmed it plans to introduce a bill for employees’ rights regarding flexible working, which will include:
• Removing the 26 weeks’ service requirement for making flexible working requests so that flexible working becomes a day one right
• Requiring employers to suggest alternatives if they reject the employee’s request
• Allowing the change to be temporary rather than permanent
What does this mean for you? Amend policies and update managers on the impending changes, including the right to request flexible working
from day one, the requirement to suggest alternatives and the possibility of allowing temporary changes.
The Government’s Employment Bill in 2019 is expected to introduce a range of reforms to employment law. Some proposals are now proceeding as a private members’ bill and include:
• Carer’s Leave Bill – flexible entitlement to one week’s unpaid leave per year for employees who are providing or arranging care
• Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill – 12 weeks’ paid leave to those who have a premature baby, or baby admitted to hospital within 28 days of birth for a continuous hospital stay lasting more than seven days
• Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill
• Right to time off for medical appointments in the early stages of fertility treatment and connected purposes
• Miscarriage Leave Bill – right to three days paid leave for those who experience miscarriage, ectopic or molar pregnancy before the 24th week of pregnancy.
What does this mean for you? Once the above is introduced review your policies, update your payroll team about these changes and consider any communications to staff informing them of these changes.
‘Because we have an ageing population, 1.4 million more people will retire in the next 13 years than the number of young people who will enter the workforce’
Partnering with universities offers an effective, mutually advantageous opportunity for an employer to access a range of benefits – whether that is university expertise, student and graduate future talent, campus facilities, research or skills training for your current workforce.
This region has a wealth of strong universities to engage with – Loughborough, Leicester, De Montfort, Nottingham and Derby.
The labour market remains persistently challenging, with vacancies plentiful but available workers scarce.
Skill shortage vacancies are a particular problem, outnumbering labour shortages, making it a competitive landscape to secure talented candidates. Those with degree-level or equivalent qualifications are the highest in demand.
As a ready pool of talent, there are many benefits of collaborating with universities to positively impact your workforce and company.
Creating a long-lasting partnership provides a pipeline of talent into your business and students bring with them a fresh perspective, particularly if you utilise the diverse pool they represent, as well as valuable up-todate knowledge in the industry area.
It is a three-way project – bringing together a recent graduate, business and university – lasting between 12 months and three years.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) via Innovate UK, a KTP is an ideal way to tap into creative ideas and embed the expertise of our research and development staff within your organisation.
This provides cost-effective access to research expertise, cutting-edge technology and equipment, and solution-oriented initiatives.
Retention of interns or placement students can be more effective than with employees hired through different channels – enabling employers to use these as a route for progression through the company, with a chance to establish if the “fit” is mutually beneficial.
This also provides a chance for students to align with your company's values and expertise, while fostering their development.
At Loughborough University, we highly value the creation of employability opportunities for students locally and internationally, across a breadth of industry areas. We work with all our partners to offer support in a range of aspects, from recruitment to profile-raising activities on campus, always ensuring we meet the individual needs of organisations.
We run short-term internship programmes for SMEs, year-long placements, and we’re always looking for opportunities to help support our final-year students and graduates into full-time employment.
As a region with a thriving SME business mix, universities can play a vital supportive role. Many have a range of services and teams dedicated to supporting with entrepreneurial skills, which bring innovative practices to your organisation, and can facilitate your ambitions via access to world-class research, services or training for your current workforce. This ranges from leadership skills and partnership development through to helping generate excellent funding applications.
Knowledge transfer partnerships (KTPs) have helped UK businesses innovate for growth for the past 45 years.
A new initiative within KTPs is the management KTP programme, which partners with Loughborough Business School and is designed to inject significant management expertise that can expand business capability, boost growth and enable lasting positive transformation.
Many campuses are home to innovation hubs, where SMEs can join a community of like-minded businesses to share knowledge and benefit from access to office space, mentoring and being immersed in an entrepreneurial environment.
We are unique in having the Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP), which offers organisations an unrivalled opportunity to join a dynamic innovation community with a world-class research base and graduate supply.
LUSEP partners with start-ups to global corporations, as well as public and voluntary sectors, to help organisations realise their business goals – supporting growth, skills development and sustainability.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Recruitment needs: Careers network team employer.services@lboro.ac.uk
Knowledge transfer partnerships: Loughborough research and innovation office kt@lboro.ac.uk
Business incubator: LUSEP
LUSEP@lboro.ac.uk
Or visit www.lusep.co.uk/lu-inc
‘We’re always looking for opportunities to help support our final-year students and graduates into full-time employment’Loughborough University’s Hazlerigg Building
By Jo Maher (pictured), principal and CEO of Loughborough College
In my role, I am responsible for providing circa 10,000 students with enriching, high-quality education and training opportunities from entry to Level 6.
Our mission is “to transform and enrich lives through lifelong learning, empowering the workforce of tomorrow”. We do this by working closely with more than 600 local employers and stakeholders to ensure our curriculum is mapped to the regional and national skills requirement.
Loughborough College is at the forefront of the skills agenda, and we have played a leading and convening role regionally and nationally in response to the Skills Bill. From launching our Careers and Enterprise Hub as the first completed Town Deal project in the country, to leading a Skills Development Fund (SDF) pilot and being part of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) trailblazer, supporting students to develop the skills that employers require is central to our approach.
Our collaboration with a range of national, regional and local partners, including the Chamber and employer sector representative groups, is essential to understanding the skills requirements for the region.
To inform our curriculum strategy, teaching staff are given access to the intelligence from these strategic partners alongside published national data, including labour market information, and Government priorities.
Government policy encourages employers to take the reins but, in our experience, we have discovered that many find the language of skills to be incomprehensible. With the day-to-day operations of their own businesses and strategies to run, employers prefer a more collaborative approach where they are clear about their goals but let the education experts devise the education programme to fulfil these needs.
While we welcome employers’ input in our curriculum design, as requested by Ofsted, it is crucial to have clarity regarding the skills agenda. Personally, I believe we must continue to place a strong emphasis on pedagogy – the method and practice of teaching –because although employers have immediate demands for today, the role of a college is to shape the workforce of the future.
A key issue colleges currently face is being priced out of the market for highly-skilled staff, which is a major contribution to the skills agenda being held back. Employers could really help by encouraging their staff to contact us at the end of their careers to support delivery in colleges and give back by assisting in the shaping of the future workforce. This contribution would also help in addressing some of the challenges surrounding hard-to-fill vacancies, as colleges are finding it difficult to appoint technically qualified staff.
To generate meaningful possibilities for youth and to guarantee the workforce of tomorrow is properly equipped to fulfil industrial demands in vital sectors, there must be a partnership and collaboration between employers and educational institutions.
I passionately believe this partnership approach is key to helping reduce the skills gaps we have across all levels in all sectors, including engineering, manufacturing and digital.
We welcome discussions with new and existing businesses about ways we can work together on skills and my engagement team is contactable via employers@loucoll.ac.uk
pre-Covid levels of employment at the time of the LWI’s report. Britain has 300,000 fewer workers than before the first lockdown, yet if pre-Covid trends had continued, this would be one million higher. These are the one million “missing workers” the LWI has sought to identify and understand why economic inactivity has risen at a far greater level than witnessed in most other countries.
Naomi says: “There’s been a lot of focus on people who are retiring early after the pandemic effect in which people stopped working for a while, and then decided to take a step back from work for good.
“We saw that in the earlier stages of the pandemic but actually people are continuing to leave the labour market for a whole range of reasons.
“When we look at the economically inactive population, there’s a huge rise in the number of people who are longterm sick.
“There’s a number of factors behind this, including the impacts of long-term Covid, long NHS waiting lists and a rising number of mental health conditions.”
Her study has identified three broad groups of economically inactive people beyond students – those unable to work due to health or caring responsibilities; don’t need to work having retired early from well-paid roles, which reflects a wider gender and class divide; and need help to work.
The latter accounts for an estimated 1.7 million individuals who want to work but need health, childcare, skills or employment support to do so.
“We need to be thinking about how we can assist those individuals with long-term conditions and disabilities to access employment opportunities,” adds Naomi.
Which leads us to what ought to be done about all this.
The LWI estimates that only one in 10 out-of-work disabled and older working-age people get help to find employment each year.
The reason being, it believes, is the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus focus on a relatively narrow group of people who are on universal credit and unemployed.
“Our argument is we need to extend employment support beyond just those people,” says Naomi.
“There are a whole variety of reasons for why people may be out of the labour market and economically inactive.
“A lot will have long-term health conditions or disabilities, so we need to think about the types of organisations that could support these individuals – such as housing associations, local authorities, adult education services and community groups that people are already in contact with.
“We also need to think about how we can better join up work, health and employment support because we know health is increasingly a barrier to people finding, and staying in, work.”
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made tackling the rise in economic inactivity a key part of his Spring Budget.
Measures he announced in March included tailored employment support in mental and musculoskeletal health services, expanding access to digital resources and health checks, increasing work coach support for universal credit claimants, and “mid-life MOT”, “returnerships” and skills bootcamps for workers aged over 50.
Naomi, though, isn’t convinced the majority of the “missing workers” will have their needs met in order to turn the economic inactivity ship around, contending there is plenty more scope to widen access to employment support.
One suggested policy would be to use the expected £2bn underspend in the Government’s Plan for Jobs programme – which was launched in 2020 and included the Restart scheme in which work coaches refer claimants to employment support providers – to widen eligibility by tapping into those community organisations that already engage with people who are out of work.
This feeds into one of five policy recommendations for Government to broaden support and incentives, both for people out of work and employers.
Within these suggestions, the LWI emphasises there is no one-size-fits-all solution and measures must recognise the diversity of people who are economically inactive.
For employers, more education is required around how to design, advertise and fill jobs so they are accessible to a broader group of people, thus enabling them to tap into a wider talent pool.
Naomi, who plans to take the research forward by exploring in more depth why individuals have left the labour market, explains: “This could be thinking about the forms of discrimination that can exist in recruitment processes, for instance, but also around how the job is designed so roles are offered on a flexible basis.
“Then also supporting employees to stay in work when they have caring responsibilities or health conditions to manage, and there’s a specific role for line managers to play within this.
“Research shows three in 10 jobs that are advertised will mention flexible work. This shows there’s a number of employers that already recognise the importance of this, while there will be others that do understand but aren’t sure about how to design more flexible opportunities into their organisations. So there’s some work to be done in supporting more businesses to figure out how they can adopt these types of practices and approaches, and proving the business case benefits.”
‘When we look at the economically inactive population, there’s a huge rise in the number of people who are long-term sick’Job vacancies are there, but candidates need to be attracted People with long-term health conditions will need specialist support
For a small company, adopting a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme might seem like a costly or difficult endeavour, and you may feel like you don’t have the time or funds to commit yourself to working for a greater cause. However, giving back could help your company stand out from the crowd, compete with big businesses and boost your standing. So how can a small firm adopt a CSR strategy? Business Network explores some small ways you can do your bit.
Improving your eco-friendly credentials is an easy way to boost your CSR efforts. Small changes, such as going paperless, switching to low-energy lighting and introducing a recycling scheme in the workplace, can make a big difference. If you own and operate a fleet, consider switching to electric vehicles.
It’s also important to get your staff on board. Consider adopting a cycle-to-work scheme, distribute re-usable bottles and make sure all staff turn off equipment and electronics before leaving home for the day.
A great way to put CSR at the heart of your company is to get involved with the local community. As a business, start by identifying what your community needs are, and exactly how you can use your skills and expertise to help.
This might mean helping with a regeneration project (either by offering equipment or labour); donating equipment to community centres, schools or hospitals; visiting schools and colleges to offer careers advice; or developing local talent through apprenticeship schemes or work experience.
The benefits of working in the community are two-fold. As well as providing help exactly where it’s needed, it is also an easy way to demonstrate your business expertise and show the human face of your organisation, which can in turn help you win new business.
Choosing a charity to support for a full year is a popular option for a lot of larger firms, and it’s an easy way to concentrate your charitable efforts.
First, select the charity you wish to partner with – it’s a good idea to choose one that shares your aims, or get your staff to suggest charities close to their hearts.
Then, over the course of a year, you can encourage your team to take on fundraising activities, from bake sales and fancy dress days, to sponsored activities such as marathons or mountain treks – or even a bungee jump!
At the end of the year, all money raised will go to your chosen charity – and then you can start again, but this time support a different charity. Over the years, you will have the opportunity to do a lot of good for multiple charitable organisations.
Adopting a CSR programme is a brilliant opportunity to put your business in front of like-minded companies and forge lasting business partnerships.
For example, if your organisation chooses to champion a green initiative, you should seek to work with other firms that can demonstrate their eco-friendly credentials.
As well as validating your own CSR efforts, such partnerships will offer you the chance to share best practices and reap the mutual benefits.
It may also provide you with the opportunity to work with bigger organisations – increasingly, larger firms only wish to work with and support companies that can prove they are doing their part.
You may not have the budget to make regular charitable contributions, but have you considered donating time instead?
As an employee benefit, some firms give their staff the option to spend a few days each year (with full pay) volunteering for a good cause, such as getting their hands dirty in a community garden, helping at a food bank or cleaning up a local park
As well as doing good, such initiatives will also help your recruitment efforts and retain top talent. Young professionals especially seek employment with organisations that take CSR seriously.
By providing such opportunities, you will also be encouraging your staff to work on their personal growth and professional development.
We’ve all heard of corporate social responsibility – also referred to as corporate giving, environmental and social governance, or other similarly un-catchy titles. However, over the past few years, did you know this area has quietly been transformed with some truly ground-breaking examples coming to the fore of charities and businesses working together to change lives?
Traditionally, a business reaching out to a charity has been for philanthropic reasons. If, because of a contribution of time, money, resources or expertise, the business and its staff benefit from positive publicity and the feelgood factor, that’s all to the good.
Charities all over the UK benefit daily from dedicated ambassadors, patrons and sympathetic businesses that genuinely care deeply about their adopted causes. It’s also great that businesses are becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment and their wider place in the community.
In more recent years, however, it has been acknowledged that the exchange of expertise between charities and businesses can be just that – an exchange as beneficial to the giver as it is the recipient. Furthermore, where businesses and charities align their purposes to create something new together, this takes the idea of partnership one step further. It also perhaps disrupts slightly the view of beneficiary and benefactor – and is potentially empowering to both.
In 2017, Samaritans teamed up with Network Rail, British Transport Police and the wider railway community to roll out the #SmallTalkSavesLives campaign. This campaign, which ended recently, was set up to address the staggering number of suicide attempts on railway lines weekly.
The idea was simple: if someone looks vulnerable, anyone concerned should trust their instincts, start a conversation and potentially save a life. In April 2022, the industry reached the landmark of having trained 25,000 staff (with training being delivered by Samaritans) in suicide prevention.
What’s more, with the rollout of posters, social media posts
and information for travellers and the public, it’s estimated 65 lives were saved that year alone.
IN MY JOB as fundraising manager at Leicester Animal Aid (LAA), I have worked with brilliant partners including the Pets at Home Foundation, Mars Petcare and the Petplan Charitable Trust.
There have also been countless generous small businesses who have helped, supported, or encouraged the charity.
Leicestershire hairdressing entrepreneur, and fellow animal lover, Barrie Stephen has been a passionate ambassador for LAA since 2018. Not only has Barrie raised funds, but he has also used his influence to shine a light on the work that we do and that of his other adopted local cause, the Sir Thomas White Loan Charity.
Recently, another partner and collaborator, Mars Petcare, worked with LAA to roll out a pet food bank and warm space. This has come from a mutual desire to help those who are struggling with the cost of feeding pets since the “perfect storm” of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis.
Since the pandemic, animal rehoming centres like LAA have reported an increase in pet relinquishment, with the cost of pet ownership being one of the reasons well-loved animals may be given up.
Although our Pet Food Bank/Warm Space does not have the impact of the Samaritans campaign, it is an example of how, when charities and businesses work together, they can prevent a problem at source rather than address its consequences later down the line.
Charities love the support that they receive from corporate partners with shared values. If you have been working with a charity, don’t stop! Support doesn’t always have to come in the form of a team sent from head office to carry out a spot of gardening however (though that is often welcome too!) Charities whose values align with your own can benefit from your ideas, innovation, and strategic thinking too. Who knows what you could achieve together?
‘Charities love the support that they receive from corporate partners with shared values’
7 June, 9.30-4.30
Accelerated marketing Nottingham Belfry, Nottingham
7 June, 9.30-4.30
Making the switch to GA4 Chatsworth Estate, Bakewell
7 June, 9.30-4.30
Developing a profitable ecommerce website Friars Mill, Leicester
8 June, 9.30-4.30
Getting started with email marketing
Mansfield Innovation Centre, Mansfield
12 June, 6-7pm
An introduction to e-commerce Online
15 June, 9.30-2
Selecting the right social media for your business
Rushcliffe Arena, Nottingham
19 June, 6-7pm
How to use social media as your online shopfront Online
20 June, 9.30-4.30
Developing a profitable ecommerce website Rushcliffe Arena, Nottingham
21 June, 9.30-4.30
Getting started with email marketing
Charnwood Regency Guesthouse, Loughborough
To view the Chamber’s schedule of upcoming digital and technology workshops, visit www.emcdnl.co.uk/events and apply the category filter “digital & technology”.
Social media has always been changeable. What still feels like a fledgling technology has, in fact, been around for two decades.
Businesses have constantly tried to keep up with the advances and developments of the different platforms. Some have come and gone, others have lasted the course.
With what seems like chaos at Twitter and AI hanging over everyone, where does the land lie for those of us trying to use it to our advantage for our businesses?
Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter late last year, there have been changes to verification, the introduction of paid subscriptions, re-entry of previously banned accounts to name a few.
Sadly, there have been thousands of layoffs (similar to other tech companies) and the rollouts of features have not been smooth with ill thought-out definition, U-turns and poor communication on what it all means. Users have been leaving, or announcing their intentions to, and a raft of Twitter alternatives have shot up.
What’s the impact for you? At this time, I’m not sure Twitter is worth investing much of your marketing effort unless you know your audience is there and is staying there.
They’re a suitable alternative to in-person networking when many groups have discontinued after lockdowns. Video, swipe files, polls – all available to offer variety and create interest in your organisation. Pair a company voice (pages) with your team’s personal voice (profile) and you have a great combination to show the breadth of the skills in your business.
LinkedIn isn’t just for B2B companies. Increasingly we’re seeing users respond to more personal content. Some brands are taking the chance to stand out and talk directly to their consumers on LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid to make personal content, even if “it’s not Facebook”.
By offering stability through Instagram and Facebook, Meta appears to be biding its time, happy to let Twitter slowly implode.
But it recognises the threat of TikTok (despite attempts to limit its availability) and is attempting to keep up by introducing new features to Reels, as well as close gaps like adding multiple links to an Instagram profile.
Like LinkedIn, if your audience is here, and you’re not looking to expand your use of social media right now, doubling down on Instagram and Facebook makes sense. Learning any new platform takes time and effort –and potentially time away from other areas of the business – so proceed with caution.
Keeping a close eye on the platform’s metrics will tell you whether your posts are seen and interacted with, and will give you the knowledge to make a decision.
Personally, the alternatives to Twitter are not in a state to compete – it’s unlikely they ever will be. You may prefer to concentrate on other platforms you’re currently using.
LinkedIn is certainly going through a renaissance. Users are grasping that content plays an important part in prospects and customers understanding their suppliers’ products and services.
Let’s return for a moment to TikTok. Exploding over the past few years, it boasts a broad church of users from every industry. The care sector has #CareTok. Agriculture has #FarmTok. There’s even a whole subculture of #WaterTok.
The point is, there’s a good chance your audience is on TikTok so it’s worth finding the time and developing the skills to create high-quality entertaining or educational content. It’s a myth that TikTok videos must be complicated, but you do need the ideas.
Social media has never, and will never, stand still. How your business adapts to the landscape determines whether it will harness its potential to reach and engage with your potential and existing customers.
‘Social media has never, and will never, stand still’
A Derby IT and smart building technology company says UK firms could be wasting thousands of pounds on electrical installation costs because they are unaware of the full range of capabilities of ethernet cables.
Scenariio believes Britain has fallen behind other nations in its understanding of how the cables can be used to a greater extent by carrying electricity, as well as data, to devices with increased power demands –such as LED lights, security cameras, AV and monitors.
Earlier this year, Scenariio became only the second UK company to join the Power over Ethernet (PoE) Consortium, a global industry trade group set up in 2022 to advance education and share best practice in PoE so more countries can save money while reducing their carbon footprint.
Digital marketing agency
Alphageek Digital has landed a contract to work with one of the region’s fastest-growing restaurant chains.
The Derby-based agency has been chosen to provide a suite of digital marketing services for Tamatanga, an award-winning independent Indian restaurant group renowned for authentic food served at in a vibrant, communal environment.
The company has restaurants in Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham, with other units due to open in Leeds and Sheffield this year.
PoE has been used for years to power telephones and laptops, and in countries like the USA, India, Germany and Mexico is increasingly being used in smart building schemes to enable owners and operators to monitor and control heating, lighting and security via devices linked to the internet.
It saves money because there is no longer a need for a separate power source to each device, meaning there is no need to employ an electrician, modify building
plans, install extra wiring or for safety approval.
Scenariio managing director Rob Pritchard said: “Installing only one type of cable on one infrastructure network from a central comms room reduces complexity and opportunities for issues. This makes it much more flexible and cost-effective, and saves significantly on installation and cabling, but for some reason the take-up is still relatively low in the UK.
“In the low-carbon, post-lockdown world, smart buildings are the future and if UK companies are to deliver the cost savings and sustainability strategies they’re being required to achieve, then innovations such as power over ethernet are vital to their chances of doing so.”
Alphageek has been tasked with creating a new website for Tamatanga, as well as supplying other digital marketing amenities.
Business development manager Alex Mills said: “Having studied in Nottingham, we are all fans of Tamatanga – it fits in brilliantly with our own ethos, so we are thrilled to have landed this contract and can’t wait to show what Alphageek can do.”
‘In the low-carbon, post-lockdown world, smart buildings are the future’Rob Pritchard
It’s estimated by the charity ADHD
Aware that 15% to 20% of the world's population exhibits some form of neurodivergence, which refers to the various ways the brain can work and interpret information.
Ella Sheppard (pictured), senior associate and solicitor in Nelsons’ employment department, discusses how employers should approach neurodiversity in the workplace from a legal and supportive perspective.
However, in many circumstances, those with neurodivergent conditions often have difficulties finding work or may become an afterthought when it comes to retention, promotion and career development.
Neurodiversity acknowledges how individuals naturally think about, and process, information and situations in different ways.
It also recognises that every individual has different interests and natural strengths in certain areas.
The term “neurodiversity” is wide-ranging and can include having one or more of the following conditions – ASD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), down syndrome, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, mental health conditions such as bipolar and obsessivecompulsive disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, sensory processing conditions, social anxiety and Tourette syndrome.
Neurodiverse individuals often have valuable and beneficial skills to bring to the workplace. For example, they typically display high attention to detail and have excellent memories.
In fact, recent Government data has shown only 22% of autistic adults were working in 2021, according to the National Autistic Society, and nearly half of autistic workers have stated they have felt bullied or harassed at work because of their condition, according to specialisterne.
Employers are under a legal duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees while at work and risk criminal liability if they fail to do so.
Adjustments to physical work environments may be required in the case of neurodivergent employees to comply with this duty, and the duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. For example, to remove or reduce sensory stimuli.
Employers should bear in mind that neurodivergent people can experience issues even at the recruitment stage and should consider making appropriate adjustments.
For example, keeping advertisements simple, giving advance notice of any exercises an applicant may need to complete as part of the interview process, adjusting the physical environment in
which interviews take place to make this accessible and allowing breaks where appropriate.
Once part of the team, employers should encourage open communication with anyone who considers themselves neurodivergent and feels they are struggling in work as a result, and actively listen to any concerns raised.
Internal policies should encourage employees to disclose to their line manager or HR team if they are experiencing issues at work because of any such condition, directing them to appropriate internal resources and any designated people within the business for support.
Where an employer feels or is made aware of the fact an employee is struggling, they should take steps to explore possible adjustments that may assist the employee, alongside the employee themselves and possibly a medical professional.
Adjustments could include dictation software, a separate working space and altering working hours. This can encourage greater productivity and lead to the retention of talented employees, benefitting both the individual and business.
In order to have those sometimes difficult and sensitive conversations, employers should provide line managers with adequate training on difficulties that neurodivergent employees may face at work, and how to identify and best support neurodiversity.
Changes announced in the Spring Budget to the R&D tax relief scheme are now in place, with some having taken effect from the 1 April 2023. Darryl Hoy (pictured), technical director of the Radius team at Shorts Chartered Accountants, provides a practical guide to what businesses need to know, and do, to ensure they remain compliant with HMRC and their much stricter approach to R&D tax relief claims.
From 1 April 2023, qualifying R&D expenditure has been extended to include the costs of data licensing and cloud computing costs. You will need to demonstrate how these costs have been used in R&D projects, excluding any commercial elements – for example, if the data bought was then used in a wider commercial contract, you would need to apportion costs between the data used for R&D purposes and for commercial benefit.
The rates of R&D relief have been reduced though from 1 April, with the enhanced R&D relief reduced from 130% to 86% and the tax credit for loss making companies reduced from 14.5% to 10% – unless you are an R&D-intensive company (defined as having 40% or more total company expenditure spent on R&D), in which case you can still claim at 14.5%.
If you have not previously claimed R&D, or if you have not made a claim in the previous three
accounting periods, then you will need to prenotify HMRC of your intention to make a claim and no later than six months from the end of the accounting period in question.
If the pre-notification form is submitted after the six months deadline, the claim will be rejected. The form must be submitted online via the Gov.uk gateway and you will need to include information about the R&D projects you intend to claim for.
There is now also a requirement to submit an “additional information” digital form for any R&D claims submitted on or after 1 August 2023. What information is needed?
The “additional information” form is similar to most Gov.UK forms and must be submitted via the Gov.uk portal. It asks for the usual information about the company’s identity and tax reference numbers, and requires a senior officer at the company to sign off the R&D claim, with their details entered on the form as well as details of any agent used to help you prepare the R&D claim.
Qualifying R&D costs remain broadly similar to how they were before, and can be summarised by the following:
Employee costs
• Gross salaries
• Employer national insurance contributions
• Employer pension contributions.
Bonuses
• Externally provided workers (agency staff)
• Subcontractors
• Consumable materials or energy costs
• Software
• Data licences
• Cloud computing costs.
However, if you have two or more projects, you will need to allocate R&D costs per project. You will need to ensure you have reliable records for each project.
Ideally, for any employees you have working on R&D projects, you will need to record their individual time per project, as HMRC may ask for this if they did enquire into the claim.
The additional information form will ask for the number of R&D projects being claimed for and then:
• For one to three projects, you need to describe all projects covering 100% of the qualifying R&D expenditure
• For four to 10 projects, you will need to describe projects that account for 50% of the qualifying expenditure and a minimum of three projects
• For 10 to 100-plus projects, you will need to describe projects that account for 50% of the qualifying expenditure and a minimum of three projects. However, if the expenditure is split across multiple smaller projects, you have to describe the 10 largest ones.
You can find a full list of HMRC’s questions on the Radius website.
Our advice is to prepare now by ensuring you have adequate records for each R&D project you undertake. The best practice would be to make sure you:
Keep a record of the project, including:
• Timeline
• Key deliverables
• Milestones
• Record the types of research undertaken at the technical feasibility stage
• Document the R&D activities undertaken at each phase of the project – linking through to project deliverables and milestones
• Ensure staff or a manager is allocating R&D time per project on a regular basis, backed up by timesheets and records
• Record any other associated costs against each project.
If you are unsure, or lack the systems in place to do this, then please talk to the Radius team at Shorts and we can work with you to help find a practical solution.
The Nottingham office of UHY Hacker Young is recruiting for graduates and school leavers to kickstart their careers in accountancy through the firm’s successful audit and accounts training schemes.
The qualification scheme allows young individuals the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in audit and accounts, as well as exposure to a range of clients while achieving an ACA or ACCA qualification as part of a small cohort.
They will also be provided with the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge through comprehensive training and support from UHY, working alongside senior professionals in the firm to provide them with guidance and mentoring support.
UHY requires graduates to have a minimum of a 2:1 degree in any subject. It also runs a one-year placement scheme for third-year university students.
James Simmonds, partner in the Nottingham office responsible for training, said: "UHY’s ACA programme is the ideal opportunity
for talented graduates to get a first taste of the industry within a top 20 firm and discover which pathway into audit and accounts they want to develop along.”
UHY is also recruiting for school leavers designed to offer ambitious A level, or equivalent, students the opportunity to qualify and build a career in accountancy.
It involves a mix of on-the-job and classroom-based study to complete the AAT accounting qualification, with potential opportunity to complete further professional qualifications.
James added: “We pride ourselves on creating opportunities for school leavers to build a strong foundation for a future career in accounting.
Our goal is to create opportunities for professionals new to the industry, who are passionate about accounting and eager to develop the technical
expertise, as well as the softer skill required including communication, presentation and negotiation skills.”
‘UHY’s ACA programme is the ideal opportunity for talented graduates to get a first taste of the industry’
Frasers Group’s Alex Tosney and Rachel Schofield gave a presentation
Professionals from the worlds of digital, creative and IT imparted their wealth of knowledge and expertise to students at West Nottinghamshire College during a specialist employability showcase.
The three-day event, organised by tutors and support staff, enabled young people studying on computer science programmes to discover more about the industry’s various roles and even hidden jobs.
Guests included ex-student Will Burton, who works as a junior software developer at Mansfield-based creative marketing company Linney, as well as representatives from Worktribe, Currys’ main distribution centre in Newark, Dijitul, Node4, and Sports Direct parent company Frasers Group.
Paula Hyde, a vocational learner development coach at the college, said: “Hopefully this event has encouraged students to look further afield and to think broader in terms of how diverse careers can be within this exciting sector.”
A scholarship for aspiring insurance professionals, who face socioeconomic barriers to pursuing higher education study, has been launched at the University of Nottingham.
The university has worked with the Education and Training Trust charity (EATT), part of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), to create the scholarship programme to support students from sections of society that are under-represented in the industry, such as from low-income households.
Professor Todd Landman, pro-vice-chancellor for the Faculty of Social Sciences at the university, said: “One of the university’s guiding principles is to expand opportunity. We are determined to ensure that an enriching learning experience should be available to all and not limited by financial constraints or other personal obstacles.
“Establishing this insurance education undergraduate scholarship programme here at Nottingham will have a significant effect on our ability to recruit and retain those potential future leaders who may be dissuaded from entering higher education and joining the insurance industry because of the challenges they face in realising their potential.
“Recruiting the very best and diverse talent is crucial to the future of the insurance industry. This partnership will make a significant impact on the lives and careers of our students and also foster the next generation of leading talent for the insurance industry.”
The CII’s Education and Training Trust Scholarship for Future Insurers will provide financial support totalling £16,500 to each of the students.
Successful applicants – who must be eligible for UK tuition fees and have a household income below £35,000 – will be awarded £2,000 per year towards their tuition fee, as well as £3,500 per year for living costs.
There are four scholarship places available to those starting degrees in September 2023 and four in September 2024.
SMB College Group has opened a gas and plumbing commercial training centre at its Stephenson Campus in Coalville.
It will be used by gas and plumbing apprentices who study at the college, as well as industry professionals who enrol on a series of new commercial short courses.
Designed to replicate a working environment and featuring the latest equipment, it provides a space to build new skills and refresh existing ones.
The centre was unveiled to local industry representatives during a special event, in which the college’s CEO and principal Dawn Whitemore spoke about it providing “a fantastic opportunity to make something special here”.
Mark Bradbury, section manager for gas and plumbing at the college, said it could be used by businesses to train staff in ACS gas, unvented and water regulations qualifications.
“The centre is an additional curriculum area that we have added to the offer of full-time and apprenticeship courses,” he added. “We are delighted to open the centre and look forward to serving all our existing and new customers in the future.”
SMB’s Stephenson campus provides modern working environments to deliver technical and trade courses in subjects such as gas and plumbing, construction and engineering.
In April, house prices grew by 0.1% compared to a year earlier, according to Halifax, marking the weakest increase in more than a decade. Narinder Nijjar, co-founder and CEO of Fraser Stretton Property Group, speaks to Dan Robinson about where he believes the housing market is at.
How would you describe what has happened in the property market over the past 18 months?
The housing market has been quite buoyant since the pandemic. At the start of lockdown, it was a worrying time for all businesses but the “shot in the arm” the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak provided by way of the stamp duty land tax (SDLT) holiday gave the property market a huge push to unprecedented levels.
Helped by low to non-existent rates, consumers paid over and beyond asking prices in the search for the perfect roof over their heads, and this helped the price index to artificially grow in that period.
The past 18 months have shown a gradual levelling out of the market. Consumers who purchased property during the SDLT holiday are now, in some cases, facing much higher interest rates and, aligned with the fact that house prices are starting to drop in some areas, homeowners are facing the reality of possibly being in negative equity. The level of home purchases is now nearer to pre-pandemic levels.
During the pandemic, we heard a lot about people moving out of big cities and city centres, and into smaller cities and suburban areas. Has this trend continued?
It’s more of a mixed bag now. While the charms of suburban living are not diminishing, the big cities have gone through a resurgence over the past 12 months. As more and more workers
return to the office, the demand for city living is gaining momentum again. That said, the advent of remote homeworking has ensured there is still a demand for the perfect home away from the city bright lights.
What do you expect to happen to the property market during the remainder of 2023 and beyond?
Caution will be the key word in the next 12 months or so. Homebuyers and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on what the Bank of England does with regards interest rates, and this will obviously have a knock-on effect on budgets and income linked to mortgages. The cost of living and inflationary pressures will have an obvious impact on the property market and it remains to be seen how homeowners react to an ever-changing market.
How has your business fared and how are you evolving with the property market?
Our offering is quite vast – we service homeowners who want to sell their homes, help renters find places to call home, and manage investment properties and portfolios for clients and landlords.
We are holding our own but are fully aware we need to ensure our customer service and marketing is where it needs to be so that we continue to evolve as a company.
What would your advice be to homeowners and homebuyers over the next six months?
If you are a first-time buyer, be very careful about embracing a 100% mortgage – these products always sound better than they are in reality.
My estate agent head always tells me that if you have no “skin in the game” then you will probably feel the sting in the financial tail at some point or other.
If you are looking for your next move, ensure to do your research when it comes to upsizing or downsizing.
Once that becomes viable, then getting the right estate agent who understands what you need to achieve your aims is very important – all aspects from marketing a property, the negotiation process to completion need to be on point to ensure the noise is removed from what can be a very stressful, but exciting, task of buying or selling a home.
Derby-based construction firm GF Tomlinson is looking forward to a strong pipeline of work after securing preferred contractor status on a number of public sector frameworks.
The projects for Pagabo, Scape and the Department of Education, which will begin over the next 18 months, are valued at a combined £60m.
These schemes include 90 new houses in Worksop for Bassetlaw District Council valued at £21m.
It will oversee the £16m refurbishment of the Grade IIlisted Stephenson Memorial Hall
for Chesterfield Borough Council, creating a modern visitor experience for the Pomegranate Theatre and Museum.
A £9m project at George Betts Primary Academy, in Smethwick, Birmingham, comprises a newbuild replacement school for 420 pupils and 26 nursery places.
The firm has also been appointed to deliver the £5m transformation of Sherwood Observatory Discovery Centre, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, featuring a new planetarium, exhibition hall and educational facilities to increase annual visitor numbers
from 3,000 to 20,000.
recent successes, which are
Andrew Sewards, group chairman of GF Tomlinson, said:
“We are delighted with these
testament that our strategy of concentrating on the public sector is paying off.”Narinder Nijjar
Very few of the vehicles on our roads today have the might and presence of the Land Rover Defender, a beast of an off-roader that, more than likely, will never get its tyre treads mucky. Motoring journalist Nick Jones took one out to give it a whirl.
One thing’s for sure, it’s a heck of a size – my version here measuring in at 5.3 metres for length. That’s longer, in fact, than the sevenseater, long-wheelbase Range Rover.
This version is the HS130, rather than the already long 110 version, and it looks great but carries a slightly hefty price premium for what purports to have slightly larger third-row seats in the rear.
Naturally, it’s far more luxurious than a minibus with all the latest tech and, more importantly, Land Rover’s comprehensive off-road equipment, which gives it remarkable off-road ability.
Throwing at it mud, deep ruts, murky ponds and steep inclines proves no barrier for the Defender.
You can call on any of the off-road settings –including rock, gravel, sand and snow – to alter the traction and power distribution, and choose the correct level of the air suspension.
On the tarmac, where nearly all its life will be spent, it’s a great ride and soaks up all the bumps with consummate ease, giving a great account of itself.
A high driving position gives a fantastic view of the road ahead. Mine here had the mild hybrid twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight six under the bonnet and it stirs 300 horsepower, and a hefty 650 newton metres (Nm) of torque.
The interior design reinforces the vehicle’s ruggedness with features like big grab handles, lots of angular facades to the dash and door panels, and exposed screw heads. Love it!
One may struggle to find a space large enough to park it up, however, and that’s the only obstacle to many happy miles of Defender motoring.
We discuss everything else in company and board meetings, but do we give our brand a voice?
It's easy to discuss historical accounts, management accounts, balance sheets, and profit and loss. You can implement change and strategy to improve numbers.
But it is far more difficult to recover a brand once it begins its
decline due to issues missed or not being discussed at a management level, especially when we haven't audited, reviewed or given it visibility at a critical time. Imagine what your brand would say if it could have a seat at the boardroom table.
Your brand is one of your most vital assets and should be treated accordingly. Once created and set
up, a brand needs to be checked regularly. One rule of thumb is to treat the first two years as a settling-in period.
At five, sense-check it – how is it doing? Finally, at 10, a business should have achieved some of its goals, employed more people, introduced more services or additional locations, and celebrated its 10th year of business. At 10 years, there should be some good reasons to evolve the brand, so it reflects the current business and its offerings.
As a business develops, it makes sense to review how you look and your overall brand. Do you not want to shout about your successes?
There are a few reasons why it's essential to revisit your brand periodically. Ask yourself:
1. Is your brand still relevant? As your business changes and evolves, it's essential to ensure your brand is
still aligned with your mission and goals.
2. Is your brand competitive? By revisiting your brand, you can ensure you remain competitive and relevant in your industry.
3. Are you still connecting with your audience? Revisiting your brand can help you better understand the needs and preferences of your audience, and ensure your brand effectively communicates with them.
4.Is it time for a change? A brand refresh can be a great way to reinvigorate your business and bring new energy to your marketing efforts.
Overall, revisiting your brand can ensure it accurately reflects your business and effectively communicates with your audience, leading to increased success and growth.
Ihave chaired Chamber meetings for many years, meetings held to try to ensure our priorities remain in sync with those of our members. Recruitment issues and skills shortages have always been high on the agenda.
There are increasingly other aspects to this conversation. The pandemic caused huge leaps in the ability to work effectively without leaving home. In some sectors, the enforced shift to remote delivery of services will probably never be fully unwound. In almost all sectors, the ubiquity of online meetings has proved an efficient way to meet with people.
The period of enforced working from home also changed attitudes to what it means to be “at work”. Getting the right balance of so-called blended working for its workforce is now a tricky challenge for employers.
There is also demographic change as we experience an ageing population and, increasingly, a consideration about the differing expectations of different generations.
An ageing population has an impact on the balance of the population that is economically active, and on the amount of health and social care required to support it. It seems to me this is compounded from a public policy point of view by a seeming consensus about the financial priority given to the different generations.
My very first job was working for HM Treasury and included maintaining a computer model forecasting social security expenditure. This was in the early 1980s, and policy was being formed about how the state pension should be uprated.
My first specific task was to tweak the model so it could be used to look at the impact of linking pension increases to inflation or to the increase in average earnings.
I’m not sure anyone back then would have expected that 40 years later, the linking of pensions increases to the highest of these would have become an almost untouchable policy for all the main political parties. I get the politics of it, of course: older people are more likely to vote and
the emotional pull of a safety net for deserving older people is clear. I do question, however, the cumulative effect of shifting ever more of the public purse to a generation that, on average, already has more assets and more wealth.
This is compounded by the impact still being felt from some of the policies put in place to avoid a complete financial meltdown 15 years ago. Those policies supported asset prices. And who tends to own the most assets? The older generations of course.
And what are the expectations and the aspirations of different generations? How is this reflected in attitudes to economic consumption and to work?
‘Someone born into a world that has always included the internet and social media must surely, in some way, engage differently with the world than their predecessors’
There is anecdotal comment that it is often middle-aged and older workers who now want to work from home, younger people missing the social element of being “in the office” and the ability to bond effectively with their teams – an ability they may never even have experienced before due to the pandemic.
The internet and social media have an impact, too. For much of history, homo sapiens were living and working in relatively small groups.
Communications advances increased that number over the past few hundred years. And then, in less than a generation, we are now all able to interact in real time with virtual communities of thousands, millions even, almost effortlessly at almost no cost.
That is a huge shift in what it feels to be “a human”. And that shift will be felt differently across generations. Someone born into a world that has always included the internet and social media must surely, in some way, engage differently with the world than their predecessors.
Putting all this together brings challenges for society, employers and employees.
Talking to younger people – such as members of the Chamber’s Generation Next network, and to colleagues in higher and further education –there also seems to be a change in the way that new entrants to the labour market view their employer and the value of the work they do.
Chamber members increasingly talk about younger potential recruits making job choices with a high weighting to the social and community impact of their employer, to having a more holistic assessment of the role of “work” in their lives, and an increasing expectation and understanding that their working lifetime is likely to involve many different jobs and probably many different careers than was the norm for boomers like me.
An employer’s stance on sustainability and on support for their local community have a real bearing on whether many younger recruits are attracted to them.
If this trend is significant and lasting, then this can only be a good thing. Indeed, it chimes well with the priorities I have set for my year as Chamber president, which take the form of two challenges for businesses.
Firstly, to take some significant time to consider how you can most effectively have a positive impact on your local community. And, secondly, to take some significant time to consider how you can best have a positive impact on “generation next-but-one”.
Work and employment trends are complex. This is important stuff for any employer, and for the health of our local and national economies.
I’m sure some of this will be considered more fully at the Chamber’s East Midlands People and Skills Summit on 8 June, and I hope that forum and other support provided by the Chamber can continue to provide constructive ideas and advice for members on this, and any other topics they view as important. That is a key part of our role.
