Yesterday’s ONS unemployment figures highlighted that unemployment across the UK rose by 25,000 and employment fell by 63,000, in comparison to the previous 3 months. However, here in Norfolk the trend is somewhat different. Over the last 3 months, those seeking Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) in Norfolk has continued to fall from 6,679 to 6,518.
As a whole, Norfolk’s 18 to 24 year olds claiming JSA saw a small reduction from 1,615 to 1,600, but Norwich’s 18 to 24 year olds claiming JSA increased from 635 to 645.
Commenting on Norfolk’s unemployment figures, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“Whilst it is positive news that overall Norfolk is bucking the national trend, the aim should be to get all of our young people either into employment, or undertaking further training. The business community will continue to support the developing the talent of Norfolk’s young people.”
A scheme which will help get people into apprenticeships in small businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk has been launched by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.
The Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Pool is being set up in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and will help transfer unspent apprenticeship levy payments from levy payers to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the area.
Levy payers with unspent levy need to be identified and encouraged to allocate some or all of their unspent levy to a virtual pot. Any preferred use of their funds – a certain apprenticeship standard, sector, location – will be identified at this stage.
The LEP or an endorsed partner will then source businesses direct or through an apprenticeship provider that has potential apprentices who are looking to ‘receive’ the funds. An introduction will be made and if all parties, including the training provider, are happy with the match, funds can start to be transferred.
New Anglia LEP is working with businesses, colleges and universities in the region to identify potential opportunities and a budget of £120,000 has been allocated to fund the development of the New Anglia Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Pool.
Chris Starkie, chief executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “Intervention is required in order to boost the number of apprenticeship starts, particularly among SMEs which make up the vast majority of employers in the area.
“This scheme is part of a wider series of actions designed to support apprenticeships across Norfolk and Suffolk and it is essential there is a coordinated approach across stakeholders. This will ensure we can maximise opportunities and prevent employers being engaged multiple times by different stakeholders.”
Natasha Waller, Skills Manager for New Anglia LEP, said: “This will be a massive boost for apprenticeships and training at a time when these opportunities are dwindling. People are central to all of our ambitions and goals and this underlines our commitment to help people of all ages set their aspirations high and open them up to the careers available to them.”
For the initiative to work effectively and to have a significant impact, it needs to be done at scale and with support for both the levy payers – companies with a staffing bill of more than £3 million a year – and the SMEs.
An apprenticeship levy coordinator has been appointed by the LEP and this post will be funded for the two years of the programme.
Chantry Place has announced the return of student night, which will take place on Thursday 6th October 2022 from 5pm-8pm.
Big names signed-up to take part in the event include H&M, Schuh, Apple, Wagamama, The Real Greek, Levi’s, Lisa Angel and many more with discounts of up to 50 per cent on the night exclusively for students.
The Centre is also providing entertainment, including a DJ, photobooth and chill-out zone with beanbags and games.
The first 200 students through the doors who head to the lower ground floor to find the Chantry Place marketing team, who will be based opposite Boots on the night, will also be able to get their hands on a goody bag.
Plus, there will be a competition exclusively for students attending on the night to win £300 plus Apple AirPods!*
Other highlights include free samples from Lush, a chance to win on the spin to win wheel in Schuh, Lisa Angel will have goody bags for the first 50 customers, Bubble CiTea will give out special scratch cards and Wagamama will offer samples.
Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place, said: “45 retailers are currently confirmed to take part in the event and all students are welcome to enjoy our late night shopping event. Chantry Place offers so much for students and we can’t wait to welcome current students along to see what we have to offer and enjoy the night, as well as new freshers to see the exciting retail mix and food offering that we and Norwich offers.”
To discover the full list of retailers taking part, click here.
For more information about Chantry Place, please visit www.ChantryPlace.co.uk or follow their social media @chantryplacenorwich
*The winner must have a valid student ID to claim the prize. If unable to provide proof, the competition will be redrawn and given to someone with a valid student ID.
All offers and discounts are correct at time of writing but may be changed or withdrawn by the retailer.
Commenting on the Government’s latest announcement on apprenticeships, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:
“It is right that the Government is seeking to engage businesses and consult on the introduction of an apprenticeship levy to make sure this policy is properly thought-through.
“Apprenticeship schemes can play a part in meeting important ambitions to boost skills and drive-up productivity. But for apprenticeships to take hold and become established, the focus should be on quality – not hitting an arbitrary figure. The conveyor belt model is not what business wants to see.
“If the quality is there, the demand, from employers and potential apprentices, will follow.
“Our research shows that greater engagement with smaller businesses is needed to increase apprenticeship take-up. Government policy is currently too focused on major employers, but equal effort ought to be put on encouraging and supporting smaller businesses to offer apprenticeships.”
John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, was in Norwich this week to meet with the Norfolk Chamber team and have a lively debate with the Norfolk Chamber Board members.
Mr Longworth complimented Norfolk Chamber on its increase in members over the past twelve months and the work it is doing to support the British Chamber of Commerce’s key manifesto pledges. These included ‘Bridging the Gap between Education and Work’ ‘Promoting International Trade’ and ‘Reaching out to the Wider Business Community.’
John Longworth, a regular contributor to national media channels, gave his opinion on topics such as the EU, access to finance, alternative funding for infrastructure projects and the skills gap. Following his round table discussion at the Norfolk Chamber office, Mr Longworth was taken to meet Neil Garner, CEO of Proxama, and whilst visiting White Space had the opportunity to talk with James Dues, Chairman of Rainbird.
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said: “Introducing John to what Norfolk has to offer is part of our campaign to make Norfolk’s vibrant business community more visible. He was very impressed with what he heard and saw relating to the Norwich digital creative sector and left with a much clearer picture of what Norfolk and Norwich has to offer.”
Both Neil Garner, Proxama, and James Duez, Rainbird, are keynote speakers at the Norfolk Chamber’s forum event: THE FUTURE IS HERE Putting Technology to work in Norwich on 23 September.
AFI KLM E&M subsidiary is delighted to announce the signing of airframe maintenance contract extension with West Atlantic UK Limited.
Paris, Amstelveen, Norwich, 4th November 2019 – KLM UK Engineering are pleased to announce a further extension to its airframe heavy maintenance contract with West Atlantic UK Limited on their Boeing 737 Freighter fleet.
Peter van der Horst, Managing Director commented: “We are delighted that West Atlantic UK Ltd have decided to continue to extend their heavy maintenance contract with KLM UK Engineering, we have been supporting West Atlantic UK Ltd for a number of years and look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”
Nigel Hiorns, Managing Director West Atlantic UK Ltd said: “Having been a customer of KLM UK Engineering’s for a number of years now, we are very pleased to announce the continuation of this working relationship and look forward to our fleet continuing its maintenance programme at the KLM UK Engineering facilities.”
About West Atlantic UK Ltd
West Atlantic UK Ltd is part of the West Atlantic/Swiftair group which is one of the largest European cargo operators with customers throughout EU. The UK airline operates a fleet of 23 Boeing 737-300 & 400 and -800 freighter aircraft and was the launch customer for the 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter).
Road users are advised that the A47 at Easton in Norfolk will be closed for overnight on Monday 24 August for essential surface repairs.
Work will take place between 8pm and 6am to carry out carriageway repairs on the Easton roundabout.
To allow traffic to be diverted on suitable roads during the work, the A47 will be closed between Swaffham and Longwater. A diversion will be clearly signposted via the A11, A134 and A1065 for westbound traffic, and via the A1065, A148, A1067 and A1074 for eastbound traffic. Access to local properties will be maintained at all times.
Highways England Project Manager Andrew Dyer said:
“Carrying out this work now will ensure smoother journeys for road users along the A47 in Norfolk.
“We have worked closely with Norfolk County Council to agree diversions and have planned this work at night to minimise disruption to road users.”
Motorists affected by this work are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for travel.
Above: One of Greater Anglia’s new trains at Lowestoft Credit: Greater Anglia
Attracting passengers back to East Anglia’s rural rail branch lines was the focus at Greater Anglia’s annual community rail conference held last week.
Community Rail Partnerships, station adopters, local authorities and other organisations from across East Anglia came together with Greater Anglia representatives at the annual Community Rail Conference to discuss how to ensure a bright future for the region’s local rail branch lines.
Nationally, rail passenger numbers are back up to 80-85% of pre-pandemic levels so the focus was on how to continue to attract passengers to use their local rail lines, building on the transformational benefits brought by Greater Anglia’s new trains.
Discussions focused on how to help community rail lines recover beyond the pandemic; how to maximise the positive impact of the new trains; how community rail partnerships can help strengthen further their links with local communities, involving schools, colleges and local authorities to help bring about positive changes locally, and how to improve diversity and inclusion.
The conference was attended by East Anglia’s six Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs), Station Adoption community volunteers, local authorities, Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network (which represents CRPs and promotes community rail at a national level) and the Department for Transport.
Jonathan Denby, Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, said, “Community rail initiatives help to bring railways closer to the communities they serve, encouraging more people to take the train and supporting local communities by making it easier for residents to travel for work, learning, shopping or leisure and for visitors or tourists to get around with benefits for the local economy.
“Most community rail lines saw significant growth in passenger numbers in recent years before the pandemic and our new, high quality, longer trains provide a fantastic opportunity to encourage more people to take the train.
“We’ll continue to build on our strong track record of partnership working, which has seen community rail lines become more and more popular with customers, whilst train services and stations have become more integrated with local communities’ needs, with more frequent services, all year round, in place on most routes.”
He added: “A huge thanks to all involved for making the conference such a positive, effective event with clear goals and a shared desire to ensure our local lines continue to thrive and maximise the impact of the exciting transformation delivered by the introduction of our new trains.”
To date in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire, partnership working has helped to boost tourism and local economies and improve health and well-being through the production of local area guides, guided walks, special event trains, volunteering initiatives, community art projects, wildlife initiatives, partnership initiatives to deliver service improvements and station upgrades and wider community involvement schemes.
Above: Greater Anglia’s Crown Point Depot Credit: Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia’s Norwich Crown Point Depot is celebrating 40 years of servicing Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex’s trains.
The depot, which employs over 100 staff, has seen many changes over the years, most recently undergoing an extensive redevelopment to accommodate Greater Anglia’s new train fleet.
The work began in 2018, with Greater Anglia investing over £80 million in the project to transform the depot with better facilities to maintain and clean the company’s 58 new Stadler trains, as well as a new train washing facility, improved servicing equipment and the ability to store and dispense more fuel.
The work included the installation of an £8.7 million new bogie drop facility – which allows engineers to repair, remove and replace components on the underneath of train carriages, such as the wheelsets and underframe equipment. New equipment transfer turntables and support offices were also added.
Greater Anglia now operates the depot in partnership with Stadler, the manufacturer of the new fleet of trains.
The landmark project ushered in a new era for the region’s railways and secured the depot’s future with train maintenance expertise staying in Norwich to continue the city’s long-standing crucial role in the delivery of the region’s train service.
That presence is valuable to the local and regional economy, with benefits for Norwich and Norfolk both from having employees based at the depot and from the linked supply chain.
Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, Jamie Burles, said, “The depot has been vital to ensuring we provide the best possible service to passengers across East Anglia since 1982 and will continue to play that crucial role well into the future.
“The team there does a fantastic job day-in, day-out, and I would like to thank them for their dedication to providing a reliable and punctual train service for the region.”
Crown Point Depot was officially opened on 27 October 1982, by the chairman of the British Railways Board, Peter Parker.
It replaced Norwich engine shed and allowed InterCity trains that had been serviced at Great Yarmouth to move to a central location. It was electrified in 1985, along with the Great Eastern Main Line.
As part of the privatisation of British Rail, in 1997, it was taken over by Anglia Railways. It has since passed with the East Anglia franchise to One Railway, National Express East Anglia and now Greater Anglia.
New branding is due to be unveiled to mark the depot’s 40th birthday and the completion of the redevelopment work.
Video:
Above: Crown Point Depot, Norwich Credit: Greater Anglia
Above: Plaque at Crown Point Depot
Above: An Open Day held at Crown Point Depot in the 1980s
Above: Depot staff in 2014 with a train named ‘Crown Point’
Above: New walkways in the newly redeveloped depot. Credit: Greater Anglia
Norfolk Chamber is urging Norfolk and Suffolk’s successful women from every sector to show their support for women in business by celebrating their achievements at one of the country’s longest running awards ceremonies.
Now in their 33rd year, the annual Women of the Year Awards highlight and celebrate women’s successes in business and society, promoting role models and inspiring women to reach their potential.
Now, with nominations for the Businesswoman of the Year still open, the event’s supporters are urging Britain’s leading female executives and entrepreneurs to encourage others by putting themselves forward or nominating colleagues whose achievements deserve greater notice.
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said: “As we work to inspire our young people it is more important than ever that our women leaders and their achievements are more visible.
“If you are a business leader, who happens to be a woman with a story to tell or work with somebody that answers that description, we urge you to step forward and be seen. All it requires is an email.”
Apprentice star Karren Brady, a former winner, also lent her voice to the call: “The Woman of the Year awards are an important opportunity to celebrate the many examples of women who are wonderful business role-models. It is critical that women in senior positions who are creating and leading businesses are recognised – not only for their own efforts and achievements but also to inspire future generations.
“The only way more women are going to be in the boardrooms of the future are if there are a wide range of role-models now who lead by example. Awards like Woman of the Year provide a perfect showcase and as a former winner myself, I can testify personally the positive experience it provides. I would urge women to put themselves forward and enter this year’s awards.”
The event has earned the support of a wide range of business organisations including the Engineering Employers Federation and the Royal Aeronautical Society, and participation can have a hugely positive impact on both the nominees’ business profiles and their bottom line.
“On a very practical level, there’s no doubt that even being nominated for an award can contribute directly to your bottom line. It boosts your business profile as a whole and lends credibility, attracting new opportunities within a wider market,” says 2011 Businesswoman of the Year winner Julie White, Managing Director of D-Drill.
“I was initially reluctant to put myself forward, but winning has had a huge impact and since then I’ve received a lot of media attention, appearing on a range of shows from the Daily Politics to Question Time. It’s taken me to places I thought I’d never see, and has given me a platform to both raise the profile of my industry and discuss the issues affecting it.”
Closing date for nominations is September 11, 2015.
The 2015 winner will be announced exclusively at the Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards ceremony on Friday, October 9 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole near the NEC. The Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards attracts several hundred high-profile guests which have in the past included Lord Digby Jones, Dragon’s Den panelist Hilary Devey, and guest speaker Britain’s double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes MBE.
There will be plenty of time to network at the 33rd successive year of the eagerly-anticipated awards when funds will once again be raised for two official charities and there will also be an opportunity to shop in a select number of boutique stores. All finalists will be invited to attend the Luncheon and Awards as the guests of the Awards Chair.
Tomorrow’s People is dedicated to helping disadvantaged adults and young people find and retain employment, with a focus on improving the long-term work prospects of those who face the greatest barriers to work. The charity’s vision is to break the cycle of unemployment and dependency in deprived communities throughout the UK, transforming lives by ‘re-skilling’ the long-term unemployed.
Revitalise
Revitalise is a national charity providing essential services for the disabled, visually impaired and their carers. The charity runs three centres nationwide, offering short-breaks with 24-hour care and personal support in relaxed surroundings.
Andrew Wright, CEO of UK Colombia Trade, will visit the United Kingdom along with the President of Colombia’s National Hydrocarbons Agency and the President of the Colombian Oil Association the week of 7-11th September 2015 to build bilateral ties and strengthen the supply chain relationship with Colombian companies to develop the budding offshore industry.
British companies have historically played a significant role in the development of Colombia’s oil and gas industry and in the light of recent offshore finds, there exists another opportunity for the UK to support Colombia in the development of a new, dynamic offshore market to complement falling onshore reserves. In the 1980s, BP developed the prolific Coveñas field and today Shell holds a large acreage of offshore blocks. UK Colombia Trade aims to promote and assist not only Operators, but also the entrance of British service and supply chain firms into the Colombian hydrocarbons market, particularly in the area of offshore and subsea services including seismic, environmental studies, HSEQ, subsea, FEED and workover.
Looking towards the future, the Colombian Caribbean represents an opportunity to create new jobs, technical training and to establish a hub for oil & gas services providing knowledge and expertise to other emerging countries in the region.
Andrew Wright, CEO of UK Colombia Trade comments: “The Orca-1 discovery opened our minds about the realistic size of opportunity for specialist UK firms in Offshore exploration and services, but with the latest Kronos find it is now clear that Colombia could host the next Latin America Offshore boom and should be on the radar of British companies already looking at Brazil and Mexico. Colombia is currently ranked by the World Bank as Number 1 in terms of Ease of Doing Business in Latin America, so we encourage British companies to take advantage of this exciting development.”
The Colombian delegation will attend a Colombia Export Showcase event at the Energy Industry Council premises on Monday 7th, followed by an active commercial and technical agenda at Offshore Europe 2015 in Aberdeen from 8th-11th September. This visit follows a delegation of British companies that already visited Colombia as part of an Energy Industry Council trade delegation to build commercial ties with Colombia and UK Colombia Trade will be hosting a further visit of UK firms to Colombia in October 2015, led by the trade body NOF Energy.
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said: “Our links with the Chamber Global Network gives real competitive advantage to business who want to start or increase their businesses overseas. If Columbia is of interest to you please do contact Julie Austin julie.austin@norfolkchamber.co.uk our Norfolk Chamber International Trade Manager”
Norwich based energy consultants, Indigo Swan, raise an impressive £5,000 for an inspirational Norfolk charity in their annual ‘Big Indigo Charity Quiz’. It brings the total figure raised by Indigo Swan for the charity up to an incredible £17,000!
More than 165 guests attended the evening in aid of Norfolk and Waveney Mind, a charity who offer advice and support to those affected by mental health problems, which took place at EPIC Studios on Wednesday 6th November.
James Groves, Managing Director at Indigo Swan commented: “To see what started as a quiz by candlelight in a restaurant in Norwich with 30 people 5 years ago, grow to the amazing event we had last week is amazing! The support we see from the local business community grows every year and the impact it has on Norfolk & Waveney Mind is so rewarding to see.“
Indigo Swan, who recently won the regional ‘Workplace Wellbeing’ British Chambers of Commerce Business Award, also used the occasion to celebrate the company’s 10th birthday. Each of the rounds tied into Indigo Swan in someway with topics including birds, the last 10 years and a general knowledge round with a twist.
Alexandra Haswell, Fundraising and Campaigns Manager at Norfolk and Waveney Mind said: “We are so grateful to the hard work that Indigo Swan put in to such a fantastic quiz this year and for their support over the last five years. The money they have raised is vital to helping us continue supporting people in the Norfolk and Waveney area and raising awareness to continue to reduce the stigma associated with mental ill health.”
