Green and digital skills have been identified as a priority to support economic growth in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
Speaking at the sixth annual Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Skills and Employability Conference (9 February 2022), Fiona Baker, head of people and skills at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We lag behind the rest of the UK in terms of productivity, and this is because our workforce doesn’t have the right skills.
“There has been an exponential increase in employer demand for digital skills recently. Businesses and education and training providers must work together to ensure that young people are equipped with the right skills to meet the local growth agenda.”
With more than 16,000 students in North Derbyshire set to gain their GCSE and A level qualifications in the next five years and thousands of jobs expected to be created following investment in Staveley, the free conference brought together business leaders and the education community to address the future employability and skills of young people.
The conference followed the Department for Education’s announcement last year that it plans to reform post-16 technical education and training to support people to develop the skills needed to get good jobs and improve national productivity.
Organised by Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield, with support from D2N2 Careers Hub – Derbyshire North, the conference also heard from businesses and education and training providers in the local area.
Nick Catt, Managing Director of Weightron Bilanciai, who spoke at the conference, urged local providers to work together, saying: “Schools, colleges and businesses need to engage with each other to identify the skills needed in the economy. Having a generic approach to skills doesn’t work as every local economy is different.”
Julie Richards, principal and CEO of the Chesterfield College Group, welcomed the proposed changes to post-16 education saying: “The need has never been greater to work in partnership to provide our young people with post 16 options which ensure everyone in our society has opportunities to develop at all levels. We must meet their needs, and the needs of our economy now and in the future.”
Cllr Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and vice chair of Destination Chesterfield, added: “The conference has highlighted that one in 4 young people fall out of their post-16 education choice at age 17. We must ensure that young people get the right information at 16 and that they make an informed decision to take up the correct training provision for their own future. In turn this will help ensure they get the right training to work in highly skilled jobs which will contribute to a thriving local economy and provide a high quality of life for local people.
“It is crucial that we look to the future and the skills we will need to transition to a low carbon economy in Chesterfield. Ensuring that we have the right mix of skills to support a sustainable future is key to mitigating the effects of the climate crisis. It was great to hear from employers and training providers about how they will be helping to support this transition and providing the skills needed to support a low carbon, high value local economy.”
Around 100 people attended the conference at Speedwell Rooms in Staveley. The annual conference aims to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses to ensure that school leavers are work ready and have the skills required by businesses in the area. As well as representatives from the business community and skills and education providers, students from Springwell Community College, which is based in Staveley, also joined the conference.
Emily Carter, Operational Careers Hub Lead at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “For young people, meeting employers and experiencing different workplaces is a key element in helping them find their best next step. We are delighted that local cornerstone employers, strategic partners of the D2N2 Careers Hub and Careers & Enterprise Company joined the conference to share best practice, and a huge thanks to the young people from Springwell Community College who facilitated table discussions.”
With a regeneration programme currently underway in Staveley and thousands of jobs expected to be created over the next few years, Ivan Fomin, chair of Staveley Town Deal, commented: “It’s important that businesses, the council and education and training providers work together to make sure these opportunities are fully realised for local people. The Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference is the first step in making this happen.”
Housebuilders Bloor Homes and Jelson Homes have submitted an outline planning application to the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council that will transform the future development of Earl Shilton.
Proposals have been put forward for up to 1,000 homes along with a new primary school, new employment land, a community hub and play and open space as part of the Earl Shilton Sustainable Urban Development (SUE) site.
This application represents approximately two thirds of the existing allocated SUE site in the Council’s Local Plan.
The whole SUE site is earmarked for 1,600 homes along with employment land, a primary school, community hub and play and open space in the Council’s Earl Shilton and Barwell Area Action Plan.
The final application for the remainder of the SUE site is expected in the coming weeks.
A public consultation on the planning application is now running. To view and comment online, visit view and comment on a planning application and search for planning application reference 21/01511/OUT.
Three Derbyshire companies have stepped forward to jointly pledge a total of £60,000 to help Derby’s City of Culture 2025 bid – and have set their sights on getting young people on board.
Learning equipment supplier Cosy Direct, additives manufacturer Lubrizol and legal firm Smith Partnership have each pledged £5,000 over a four-year period to support the City of Culture bid, which has now been submitted to the judges.
The bid organisers have called on local businesses and individuals to pledge money which would help pay for the programme of events and activities should the city be named the winner in May this year.
All three firms are long-time supporters of community and charity causes in Derby and, as proud local companies, felt it was their duty to back the bid.
But they say they want to give added value to their support by using their ties with local primary and secondary schools in order to get students involved in shaping the City of Culture programme to ensure that young people have a role in the celebrations too.
Cosy Direct was established in the city 11 years ago and its CEO, Peter Ellse, gives 10% of its profits away to good causes every year.
He has promised he will use Cosy Direct’s local connections and its extensive social media reach, which includes more than 14,000 followers on Twitter, to help spread the word among the schools and nurseries it works with.
Peter said: “I’m thrilled to be making this joint commitment alongside Lubrizol and Smith Partnership. Winning the City of Culture 2025 would put the city on the map and allow us to showcase all of the great talent and activities that we have going on here.
“At Cosy we feel its only right that young people are involved in that, which is why as well as a financial commitment we will all use our reach and connections to ensure that schoolchildren are given the opportunity to play their part too.”
Lubrizol, which is based in Hazelwood, has also spent many years making a difference on a local level and its staff give up many hours every year to work with local schoolchildren to increase their knowledge of STEM projects.
Claire Hollingshurst, quality systems manager at Lubrizol, said: “We are very proud supporters of the Derby City of Culture Bid and in partnership with Cosy and Smith Partnership, we believe that the city in which we have been proud to call home for many years, deserves the international recognition that City of Culture will bring.
“Nobody can deny how science and technology has helped to shape the cultural life of Derby down the years, not least through the paintings of Joseph Wright, and we’re really excited about using our STEM work in schools as a way to encourage students to think about how they can help to shape the city’s culture in the 21st Century.”
Claire Twells, who is a partner in Smith Partnership, said: “Smith Partnership have always supported culture and community since the inception of the company in 1987, we have and will always seek to support children across the city and we know the importance of education to the development of future generations.
“We hope to strengthen our connections and build new ones within the community on supporting the Bid.
“We have given a pledge of financial support to the Bid and we hope that the hard work and dedication of the Bid team and sub committees is rewarded by the title being awarded to the City for 2025.”
A new strategic partnership between the University of Nottingham and East Midlands Chamber is set to cement links between academics and businesses to support the post-COVID recovery of the region’s economy and the levelling up agenda.
The agreement with one of the largest chambers of commerce in the UK, which has more than 4,000 business members across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, was unveiled at a launch event held at the university’s iconic Trent Building on University Campus. It will help to underpin the university’s civic mission, while widening access for businesses to world-leading research and SME support.
The prestigious partnership, which is offered to organisations on an exclusive invitation-only basis, formalises at an institution level links forged between the Chamber and the Nottingham University Business School, which is a current partner on the Chamber’s Generation Next programme to support networking opportunities for young business leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.
Professor David Park, associate dean of Nottingham University Business School, said: “I strongly welcome the exciting evolution of our current patronage relationship between the Chamber and the Business School, into an active, institution-wide strategic partnership designed to help deliver our shared priorities. The agreement includes details of specific, regionally-focused projects and formalises relations at the highest level between two regional powerhouses.”
How strategic partnership between East Midlands Chamber and University of Nottingham will support civic pride and businesses
The Chamber will provide a conduit to business communities in Nottingham and the wider county to support the delivery of the pioneering civic agreement between Nottingham’s two universities and local partners, which makes a number of pledges.
These include the use of innovation to support a sustainable economic recovery; collaboration for environmental sustainability, supporting the city’s net zero ambitions for 2028; and to maximise the economic opportunities provided by strong local health, life sciences and medtech sectors.
At the heart of this civic engagement will be Castle Meadow in Nottingham, which is to become the university’s fourth UK campus in the city, offering improved teaching and research space and dedicated provision for professional practice-based courses.
It will enhance opportunities for collaboration with local business, industry and small businesses and make it easier to develop long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with partners, building on the university’s longstanding strengths in innovation, business engagement and graduate employability.
One of the site’s first occupants will be the new Digital Nottingham initiative, which will support economic activity, attract investment and bridge the digital skills gap in the city, while using expertise in research to create opportunities for growth and regeneration.
Combining ground-breaking work by academics in all faculties in the fields of data science, technology and innovation, the programme will build on the university’s already strong collaborations with local stakeholders in skills and business.
It will provide an innovation hub – creating a research and knowledge exchange programme in artificial intelligence, data science and fintech in partnership with industry – that will deliver lasting benefit for the city’s economy.
The closer collaboration between the university and Chamber places the region in a prime position to capitalise on potential additional research funding and investment brought about by the levelling up agenda, bringing together academics with businesses to find solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges, including the development of zero carbon aviation technology to help tackle climate change.
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Nottingham is undergoing a quiet revolution, with some key developments promising to transform the landscape of a city that is increasingly becoming an attractive place for people to move from other parts of the country.
“In the University of Nottingham, there is also some fascinating research happening right now that could play a central role in the net zero agenda and advanced manufacturing, to name just two areas that have huge commercial potential.
“By partnering with East Midlands Chamber, we can forge a strong alliance between business and academia for the greater benefit of Nottingham by helping to address key issues, and identify opportunities, in the levelling up agenda and post-COVID economic recovery.
“We look forward to working closely with the university over the coming years on a wide range of activities including digital upskilling, business leadership development and the ESG agenda – complementing some of our own initiatives such as Generation Next and Sustainable East Midlands.”
Leicestershire Business Gateway’s Start-Up Business Support programme (SUBS) has so far supported over 150 small local businesses to get back on track after COVID forced them to put their plans on hold during the prolonged lockdowns.
The programme was commissioned by the Business Gateway specifically to support any business that had launched in 2018 or after and been interrupted by COVID. The support sessions were delivered by partners NBV, Leicester Start-Ups, So Very Creative and Incrementa. They covered areas such as mentoring, digital marketing, business planning, innovation and product development.
Sonia Baigent, chair of the Business Gateway Board, said: “Everything the Business Gateway does is designed to support Leicestershire small businesses and it’s fantastic to see that this programme really made a big difference to all the people who took part. We’re grateful also to our partners who did such a good job of rebuilding hope and direction among these businesses.”
Mandeep Nagra of Pay iO, who took part in the Leicester Start-Up Accelerator programme, said: “The programme helped us to define a business strategy by using start-up fundamentals. The entire team and mentors gave great advice because they have been there and done it. The Accelerator helped define our journey.”
Neel Thakrar and Dhruvesh Ranpura of Tuck added: “The programme really benefitted us and accelerated our growth. Our personal experience was great as we also were successful on the demo day and subsequently received our first funding.”
John Mitchell of Credit Recovery UK attended the SmartUp Programme delivered by So Very Creative: “Ben’s approach to the subject has been like having a light shone into the darkness, I really didn’t have an understanding of this technology. As it is now so important to compete in this area with our competitors, I knew I would be struggling. I’m in my fifties now and this is the first time I feel comfortable with Digital Marketing.”
Beryl Pettit
Beryl Pettit of provider NBV concluded: “The 3-day Gearing for Growth programme really gave the attendees the space to think about the issues they are facing and the actions they needed to take to change things. As a trainer, it was rewarding to see them face their business challenges with renewed enthusiasm and focus, and a clear plan of action.”
The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands highlighted a further increase in the number of permanent staff appointments during January. Though softening to the weakest for four months, the rate of increase remained marked as companies continued to hire amid a sustained increase in demand for staff.
Temp billings also continued to rise, and at a faster rate as the rate of increase rose to the quickest since last August. Demand and supply mismatches continued during January however, as the strongest fall in permanent staff availability for three months coincided with a further robust upturn in vacancies.
The report is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands.
Permanent staff appointments rise at softer pace
The number of permanent placements across the Midlands rose for the eleventh consecutive month in January. The rate of increase softened from the previous survey period and was the slowest since September. That said, the rise remained marked overall. According to anecdotal evidence, companies kept up hiring amid stronger demand for staff.
Across the four monitored English regions, the Midlands saw the second-slowest upturn in January, ahead of the North of England.
As has been the case in each of the last 19 months, temp billings in the Midlands rose during January. The rate of increase was rapid, and the quickest recorded since August. Firms generally commented that additional candidates were taken on in response to rising demand. The rise in temp billings was slightly softer than the national average however, and the second-slowest of the monitored regions.
Recruiters across the Midlands signalled a sustained increase in the number of permanent vacancies in January. The rate of expansion eased for the fifth month running and was the softest since last February. Moreover, the rise in vacancies in the Midlands was the softest of the four monitored regions.
At the same time, temporary vacancies rose at a quicker pace for the first time in six months in January. The increase was robust, yet was the weakest among the four monitored English regions.
Downturn in permanent staff availability accelerates
A tenth consecutive monthly decrease in permanent staff supply was recorded in January. Moreover, the pace of the fall quickened and pushed the respective seasonally adjusted index to the lowest level since October. Recruiters commonly attributed the downturn to a shortage of suitably qualified candidates amid stronger demand. All four monitored regions saw staff availability fall, though the Midlands reported the softest reduction.
The availability of temporary staff across the Midlands fell for the twelfth time in 13 months during January. The rate of decline was marked overall, though eased from the previous survey period to the softest for eight months.
All four monitored English regions recorded falls in temp staff supply in the latest survey period, with recruiters in the Midlands reporting the second-softest decline, behind the South of England.
Further rapid rise in permanent starting salaries
Salaries awarded to permanent new joiners across the Midlands increased at a robust pace in January. The rate of increase gathered pace from the previous survey period, and was robust overall. According to respondents, stronger demand for skilled workers amid shortages was a key factor in higher starting salaries. Recruiters in the Midlands recorded the slowest rise in average starting salaries of the four monitored regions.
Latest data highlighted a fourteenth consecutive increase in average pay rates for short-term staff in the Midlands. The rate of wage inflation softened to a seven-month low, though remained marked overall.
All four English regions reported strong rises in temp rates, as only South of England-based recruiters reported a stronger rise in wage inflation than those in the Midlands.
Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, people consulting partner at KPMG, said: “The Midlands jobs market powered into 2022 with relentless growth in demand and a rapidly shrinking pool of candidates. This ongoing tension underlines how critical skills and education are to the future economic success of the region.
“Employers are desperate for talent to fill vacancies and to have a more active role in the influencing and development of skills planning in their local labour market. We know employers are eagerly awaiting more detail on how the devolution across the Midlands will help tackle the economy’s skills challenge and enable businesses and the communities they work with to achieve their full potential.”
Neil Carberry, Chief Executive at the REC, said: “The jobs market is still growing strongly at the start of 2022. Recruiters are working hard to place people into work as demand from employers continues to rise. With competition for staff still hot, companies are having to raise pay rates for new starters to attract the best people. And the cost of living crisis means there is also more pressure from jobseekers who want a pay rise.
“But pay is not the only important factor – companies must think about all aspects of their offer to candidates to ensure they get the staff they need. This will be important as firms’ spending is under pressure from inflation as well.
“Government’s role is to manage inflation, but also to ensure that they do not discourage investment – that is what will drive the economy to grow through this year. Now is the wrong time to be raising National Insurance, the biggest business tax. But politicians should also be thinking about longer-term workforce planning, making sure we have the skills the country needs for the future. This will take a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors, and the recruitment industry stands ready to help.”
Card Cutters, a card acceptance and payment solutions specialist headquartered in Worksop, has been acquired by London-based DNA Payments, an independent vertically integrated payments provider.
Card Cutters has been operating since 2009 and has an impressive merchant base in the UK and Ireland. It offers the latest payment technology and merchant services to small independent retailers (SMEs) and larger multi-outlet businesses.
The acquisition will also include Card Cutters’ Global Card Solutions, which provides merchants with a range of card machine technology and merchant support, and Card Cutters’ subsidiary in Ireland.
Arif Babayev, co-founder of DNA Payments, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Card Cutters to the DNA Payments Group; our second acquisition announcement in 2022. Following our £100 million fundraise from Alchemy Partners last year, we continue to expand our presence in the UK and now in Ireland. Card Cutters’ merchants will have access to our market-leading service propositions and product set, and we’re looking forward to a great future in 2022 and beyond.”
EY provided legal transactional support to DNA Payments on the acquisition and support on the financial and tax aspects of the transaction.
Nottingham-headquartered Phenna Group, a group of specialist businesses focused on the Testing, Inspection, Certification, and Compliance (TICC) Sector, has made its second acquisition of 2022, and its first in Singapore, snapping up A-Star Testing & Inspection.
The new acquisition adds further strength and depth to Phenna Group’s NDT & Industrials Division.
A-Star Testing & Inspection was first established in 2008 and is a global Ship Survey and Class Approved UTM, Conventional Non-Destructive Testing, Advanced Non-Destructive Testing, Heat Treatment and Third party inspection company with its Corporate Head office in Singapore and regional offices in Malaysia, Indonesia, India and beyond.
The business boasts over 300 qualified professionals staff certified in PCN and ASNT for Advanced and Conventional Non Destructive Testing Methods, in addition to IRATA Rope Access Qualifications.
The company provides its wide range of services to blue chip clients in the Marine, Offshore, Oil & Gas, Petro-chemical and Renewables industries in Singapore and across EMEA and APAC regions. These services are endorsed by a wide range of Classification Societies, Certification Bodies & Accreditation Counsels worldwide.
Gopal Balakrishnan (Bala), CEO of A-Star, said: “I am delighted to complete our partnership agreement with Phenna Group. A-Star Group have grown consistently over the last decade and I’ve thought long and hard about both the timing and selection of securing the right partner.
“From my first meeting with Paul, Eric and David, over 2 years ago, they have remained committed to our deal structure, have acted with clarity and integrity and given me extreme confidence that our partnership will be good news for the business and will afford me the strong support I’ll need to continue our growth plans.”
Paul Barry, Group CEO of Phenna Group, said: “I’m delighted that Bala and his team have agreed to join Phenna Group. A-Star have cemented an extremely strong reputation in the Asian marketplace as a leader in their field. This landmark deal, our first partnership in Singapore, expands our growing international footprint and I’m excited to work with Bala and his team, to help deliver their very ambitious growth plans.”
Phenna Group were advised by Avonhurst (London), N8 Law LLC (Singapore), Donavan & Ho (Malaysia), Fikry Gunawarn (Indonesia), Game Changer Law Advisers (India) and RSM.
A-Star Group were advised by GCA Singapore Pte. Ltd. and PK Wong & Nair LLC.
Scheme will address skills and employment gaps in core regional industries
Project will focus on opportunity in areas where take-up is lower
Work with Government ‘Nudge Unit’ will use behavioural insights to stimulate interest
A fresh intake of apprentices will go into schools and colleges to act as ambassadors as they talk to other young people about the benefits of vocational training and T-levels.
The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Careers Hub has teamed up with the Government’s Behavioural Insights Team – the so-called ‘Nudge Unit’ – for an innovative project designed to get pupils and families thinking differently about apprenticeships.
UK-wide research found that two-thirds of young people have not discussed traineeships or T-Levels at school. Just over 14% of students had never heard about apprenticeships.
The new project will address this by building a network of Apprentice Ambassadors (AAs) to go into schools and colleges across Leicester and Leicestershire to answer questions about their experience and inspire others to consider it as a career path.
The project will increase the number of local AAs being recruited, trained and made available for classroom engagement. AAs will be from a range of sectors and social backgrounds. They will be supported by Employer Ambassadors (EAs) who have a desire to support their communities and develop pipelines of new talent.
Kevin Harris, the Chair of the LLEP board, said:“By teaming up with Government behavioural insight specialists, we have created an innovative new approach whereby young people can discuss apprenticeships in their classrooms with AAs that they can relate to.
“Developing this project will help to increase the region’s productivity by ensuring that we have people with the skills needed by our employers.
“It will also focus on parts of the region where apprenticeships are not typically being taken up.
“Such inclusivity is important because young people are particularly impacted by changes in the labour market which reduce entry-level positions typically catered for by apprenticeships.”
The project is part of the LLEP’s Careers Hub and Apprenticeship Strategy ambition to have a diverse Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which engages and inspires the region’s future workforce.
It will ultimately help to change perceptions about apprenticeships in the region. Young people who express an interest in vocational training will be introduced to the local Apprenticeship Skills and Knowledge Team (ASK) and the Careers Hub network.
The LLEP is now looking for local employers to join the AAN as EAs. In doing so they will develop the skills of their own apprentices, create a pipeline of future talent, and give back to schools in their communities.
Local organisations working with apprentices, including all local FE colleges, Cadent Gas and the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, have already pledged support.
Pieter Eksteen, Education and Business Partnership Manager at the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, said: “Families are the biggest influencers of career decisions by children and this new project will make a difference by demonstrating to them that apprenticeships are an excellent option for school leavers and a genuine alternative to university.”
Gerarde Manley, Careers Hub Manager at the LLEP, said:“Leading on this project with a broad range of partners will help inspire young people to hear first-hand about the broad range of apprenticeships available locally and where it can lead them.”
The project has been launched as part of National Apprenticeship Week. Local employers, schools and colleges are now invited to identify up to 10 young people in their organisation to join the network.
The project will run through to July 2022. Learn more, or express interest in becoming an EA, by visiting https://bit.ly/LLEPApprenticeAmbassadors
YMCA Derbyshire, a charity which provides accommodation, training and education opportunities and childcare provisions, has appointed a new chair.
Julian Smith has been a board member at YMCA Derbyshire since 2020 and takes over the role from previous chair, Mary Gordon.
Having worked with over 150 Derbyshire SMEs across a number of sectors for 11 years at The Alternative Board, Julian hopes to bring his real-world experience of owning and running businesses to a cause he truly believes in. He said: “For me, it’s about making a difference. Now I have the time, I am able to commit fully to this role.
“It’s really exciting because there are a huge number of opportunities for YMCA Derbyshire to increase the nature of support and number of lives we touch in a positive way. The organisation is well lead and I believe my experience will add value to the team.”
This vision of YMCA Derbyshire is to enable young people and communities to thrive, which sits in line with Julian’s motivations for taking the role. He said: “I had been seeking a third sector organisation to be involved with that matched my values and genuinely changes lives.
“When the opportunity came up with YMCA Derbyshire, I had no hesitation. I wanted to be involved with a charity in which the Board has influence rather than simply representing the need to tick the box of good governance. This is absolutely the case at YMCA Derbyshire. I really look forward to seeing how we can work together to change lives.”
Gillian Sewell, CEO of YMCA Derbyshire, said: “We are thrilled to have Julian as our new chair. The breadth of knowledge he has of our city and county alongside the passion to support our YMCA is phenomenal. We’ve got so much planned for the next few years and Julian will play an instrumental part in where YMCA Derbyshire is headed.”
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