The latest Norwich Economic Barometer has been published. It highlighted that the Government posted its first budget surplus in July and income from tax receipts grew by 5.3% according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The continued strength of the consumer goods sector was offset by a sluggish UK manufacturing sector, which confirmed inthe latest Chamber Quarterly Economic Survey.
The UK domestic market remained the main source of new order growth, as the level of export business decreased. Companies are linking reduced overseas demand to several factors including: the sterling exchange rate; weak sales performance; the Euro Zone; and the slowdown in China.
According to the ONS there has been a 6% rise in the use of zero-hours contracts, although the ONS has said this is “not statistically significant”.
August showed that Britain’s retailers recorded the worst slump in sales since November 2008. Retailers across all sectors from lifestyle and fashion to homewares all recorded lower sales than the previous year.
All delegates will be awarded a Norvic certificate of attendance accredited by Qualsafe Awards who are recognised by Ofqual. It is valid for three years.
Open courses are held regularly at our training venues in Norwich, Norfolk and Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. Alternatively, courses can be arranged at your own site anywhere in the UK (subject to suitability).
Syllabus
Role and responsibility of first aider
Introduction to first aid
The recovery position
Heart attack
Choking
Burns and scalds
Incident management and safety
Basic life support
Adult and paediatric resuscitation
Use of AED
Control of bleeding and shock
Simple record keeping and first aid equipment
“Information presented in a clear and concise way at a good pace. Enjoyable course, very informative”.
“Lots of hands on role play, was a very good way to learn.”
A huge majority of business, school and college leaders want ministers to recognise the importance of pre-16 work experience, according to a new surveypublished today (Wednesday) by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
The survey of over 3,500 business bosses and education leaders found that 82% of business respondents, and 73% of respondents from schools, colleges and universities believe secondary schools should offer work experience for pupils aged under 16.
Work experience is not offered universally across the UK and in England, in particular, it has been deprioritised.* However, the survey found that 79% of employers think work experience is the most important activity to equip young people with workplace skills, followed by paid part-time work (69%) and volunteering (55%).
While the majority of businesses offer some form of work experience, a third of businesses (36%) offer no work experience of any kind. Micro and small businesses, in particular, need greater support to offer work experience.
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:
“The message from this survey is clear, both education and business feel that work experience is beneficial to our young people.
“However I feel here in Norfolk due to the close relationship we have between schools and businesses that we can provide experience of work differently and more effectively.”
“The new curriculum demands on schools make it challenging for students to be released from school so in addition to offering work experience, businesses need to spend more time in schools alongside teachers making the curriculum subjects relevant to the world of work. It would also enable businesses to bring to life what great opportunities there are here in Norfolk.”
Further findings from the survey:
Businesses should prioritise delivery of work experience.
50% of firms identified work experience as the top priority activity for businesses to offer young people, over business mentoring (15%), part-time paid work (14%) enterprise activities (9%), volunteering (6%), and other (6%).
48% of educational establishments identified work experience as the top priority activity for businesses to offer young people, over enterprise activities (18%), mentoring (13%), volunteering (7%), part-time paid work (6%) and other (8%).
There’s no single ideal work experience model – businesses that offer work experience value a variety of models.
66% of firms offer one to two week term-time work experience placements, 47% offer work placements during school holidays, 30% offer flexible work placements and 27% arrange visits to their businesses for groups of pupils.
Two-thirds of businesses offer work experience of some form. Those that don’t say that they need more support and encouragement to offer work experience.
36% of businesses offer no work experience of any kind.
Firms that don’t currently offer work experience would be encouraged to do so by having more information about what is required (36%), someone to facilitate the relationship with the school (33%) and clarity on the benefits to their business (19%).
Micro, small and medium sized businesses are less likely than larger firms to offer work experience. 59% of micro businesses (0-9 staff) offer no type of work experience at all, compared to 29% of small (10-49), 16% of medium (50-249) and 12% of large firms (250+).
Commenting, John Longworth, Director General of the BCC said:
“Business and school leaders are clear: we won’t bridge the gap between the world of education and the world of work unless young people spend time in workplaces while still at school.
“It was careless of Government to end compulsory work experience in 2012, but it is not too late to correct the mistake – and work with companies and schools to ensure that every school pupil has the chance to feel the energy, dynamism, buzz and challenge of the workplace for themselves.”
“Work experience is crucial to bringing down our stubbornly high youth unemployment rate. It will help ensure more young people are prepared for work. It will help close the yawning skills gaps reported by frustrated businesses across the UK, who face huge difficulty filling vacancies at every level.”
“The Government must act to bring compulsory work experience for under 16s back in England. Devolved administrations must ensure that it is available to all in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We pledge to work with governments in all four nations to ensure that more and more businesses then engage with schools, offer work placements to young people, and help the next generation get the start that they deserve.”
Meet the Neighbours, No Borders Networking Event with Norfolk Chambers of Commerce & Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Business doesn’t recognise borders, especially since virtual working, so why should we? Joining forces with neighbouring Chambers, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, this structured networking session is designed to forge new business relationships across county boundaries and maximise your opportunity to build your network. The event will take the following format;
A quick introduction from both Chamber teams
Attendees will join a breakout room for 15 minutes where each person gets 30-60 seconds to speak to the breakout room.
Come back to the main session where we will draw a business to talk about their business to all attendees at the event
Head back out into breakout rooms for more networking
Come back together for the final session.
This is a fantastic opportunity to network and chat with other businesses and find out more about neighbouring counties. Please note places are limited and available for Chamber members only*.
Meet Lilibet! This beautiful girl came into our care after her Mum had to have an emergency c-section. Due to the stress of the surgery little one had to be bottlefed every two hours from day one which led to a lot of sleepless nights for her fosterer! From a tiny 100g bottlefed to a nearly 1000g mischief maker at 9 weeks old, Lilibet grew big and strong and is now happily in her new home!
Jim
This handsome pup is Jim and he was handed over to the RSPCA after his owner could no longer care for his ailments. Jim became a regular around our administration office after being fostered by one of the team and soon became a staff favourite! He sadly has some birth defects so will need constant care and treatment for the rest of his life but it doesn’t stop him from being a cheeky chappy! He is also now officially part of the RSPCA Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch family having been adopted by his fosterer!
Mice
Our Branch was called to help by the Inspectorate after a member of the public had lots of mischief on their hands. This cutie is one of over 200 mice that came from just one house in Newcastle after their breeding got out of control. Approximately 30 of them came into our care and once we were sure there weren’t any more babies to come, we found them forever homes of their own!
Our Emergency First Aid At Work (EFAW) course is designed to equip individuals with the basic first aid skills needed to respond to workplace emergencies. This course is essential for any workplace, as it ensures that there is someone on-site who is trainer to handle emergencies until professional assistance arrives.
You will cover topics including:
Assessing an incident
Managing an unresponsive casualty
CPR
Choking, Wounds and Bleeding
Employers have a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, and this includes providing adequate first aid provisions. By having an EFAW-trainers first aider, you can help meet legal requirements for workplace Health and Safety.
Our Emergency First Aid course run on the 9th June at Haswell Training, Salhouse Road, Norwich.
All Norfolk Chamber Members receive a 10% discount on all our courses.
Call us to book your slot on this course: 01603 394352 or book via our website
The alternative route map from London Liverpool Street. Credit: Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia has created guides showing passengers how they can complete their journeys by alternative travel if disruption hits on the rail network.
The guides, available at the company’s busiest stations, show nearby train and bus routes to help passengers find alternative routes to get to their destination.
Towns across the East of England are covered in the guides which will be available as posters showing maps and information.
The large size of the posters mean that they can be displayed prominently in useful locations at stations if problems occur.
They come complete with QR codes on the posters so people can download the information onto their mobile phones, as well as links to the Transport for London journey planner and bus times website TravelLine.info.
They were made following an analysis of commonly asked questions during disruption from customers on the @greateranglia Twitter feed.
Martin Moran, Greater Anglia’s commercial and customer service director, said: “No-one likes it if things go wrong.
“These posters have been created to make it as easy as possible for our customers to complete their journeys during disruption so they can get home as quickly as possible.
“We will continue to try to get trains on the move as soon as possible, but we’re giving our customers all the options available to them in case they don’t want to wait for any disruption to clear.
Guides are available at Billericay, Bishops Stortford, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Cheshunt, Colchester, Ely, Harlow Town, Ingatestone, Ipswich, London Liverpool Street, Newmarket, Norwich, Shenfield, Southend Victoria, Stansted Airport, Waltham Cross, Wickford, Witham and Tottenham Hale stations.
Meet the Neighbours, No Borders Networking Event with Norfolk Chambers of Commerce & Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Business doesn’t recognise borders, especially since virtual working, so why should we? Joining forces with neighbouring Chambers, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, this structured networking session is designed to forge new business relationships across county boundaries and maximise your opportunity to build your network. The event will take the following format;
A quick introduction from both Chamber teams
Attendees will join a breakout room for 15 minutes where each person gets 30-60 seconds to speak to the breakout room.
Come back to the main session where we will draw a business to talk about their business to all attendees at the event
Head back out into breakout rooms for more networking
Come back together for the final session.
This is a fantastic opportunity to network and chat with other businesses and find out more about neighbouring counties. Please note places are limited and available for Chamber members only.
Who’s it for?
Business owners, managers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, young businesses and anyone who wants to connect and engage with other businesses in the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire area.
Due to this event being for members only, it has been set-up for manual approval, so event details will be received shortly after registering rather than immediately.
Norfolk Chambers of Commerce are handling the registrations and data for this event.
Above: A Greater Anglia train at London Liverpool Street. Credit: Greater Anglia
Young people in East Anglia are invited to take their first steps into the world of work thanks to a Greater Anglia training programme.
The train operator is looking to welcome young people onto its Customer Service Traineeship course which offers work experience placements for 16-24 year olds.
The eight-week programme combines education and training to support young people who are currently out of mainstream education or employment and are looking to develop their skills for apprenticeships, sustainable employment, and further learning.
Trainees spend four weeks learning in the classroom followed by four weeks on a work placement at an allocated station where they can shadow customer service colleagues to gain experience of a variety of roles.
At the end of the course successful trainees receive a Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Customer Service, a Level 2 Award in Employee Rights and Responsibilities and a Level 1 Certificate in Foundation Learning and Employability Skills.
Applications can be made at apply.greateranglia.co.uk/vacancies/8600/ or by sending an email to earlycareers@greateranglia.co.uk before Sunday 16 October 2022.
Viktorija Novikova, Greater Anglia’s Early Careers & Apprenticeships Manager, said, “Over the last five years we have offered traineeship opportunities to young people who are currently out of mainstream education or employment.
“We find that these types of courses can really help to motivate teenagers and young adults through practical work experience and they benefit from getting an insight into the typical tasks they will be expected to undertake in full-time employment, as well as the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of many other young people who have successfully completed the programme and progressed into full-time roles with us.”
The programme is one of Greater Anglia’s diversity and inclusion initiatives that helps provide young individuals with inspiration and insight towards roles in Greater Anglia and rail careers in general.
For more information about the course visit careers.greateranglia.co.uk and search for Admin Trainee under vacancies.
Our August edition of the Swarm newsletter has just been published and we would like to invite you to take a look.It is a snapshot from inside the apprenticeship world at Swarm and is designed with busy employers in mind who just want an overview of what’s been going on and to stay up to date.Our email version gives you a summary of the stories and headlines so you can quickly scan and read just what you’re interested in. You can register here to receive the email version each quarter and you can unsubscribe at any time.We won’t contact you with anything else, just because you are signed up to receive our newsletter.
We share latest news, insights, practical tools, success stories and just general goings on that you might find useful to get a feel for how apprenticeships can benefit you in your organisation or how you can maximise their benefit if you are already using the scheme.
Here’s what you’ll find inside our August edition:
·Welcome message from our Swarm Training CEO
·The “All About Apprenticeships” event at The Forum
·Changes to the Off-the-Job rules on training hours
·Meet Izzy, one of our brilliant Marketing Apprentices, and hear her story
·The launch of the new Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship at Swarm Training
·Upcoming events
·Our business activities at the Royal Norfolk Show
·Spotlight on our Accounting tutor
·Insight from our sister company, Swarm Recruitment, on skills based hiring
·Our regular feature on Safeguarding and Wellbeing
Location: Carrowbreck House, 7 Carrowbreck Road, Norwich, NR6 5FA This course is designed to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence that could be vitally important at work or at home. Duration: One-day course (9.30am – 4.30pm approximately) Equipment: No equipment is necessary for you to bring to the course. Pens and note paper will be available. Lunch provided: On full day training courses a sandwich lunch with crisps, cakes and fruit will be provided. Refreshments will be available throughout the duration of this course. Course Content Introduction The First Aid Kit Assessment of an incident Resuscitation Unconscious casualty Recovery position / Spinal injury recovery position Choking Bleeding Shock Minor injuries Seizures Burns Importance of basic hygiene in first-aid procedures At the end of the course, all trainees will receive a first aid book to support this course. Attendees will also receive an Emergency First at Work Certificate valid for three years. This certificate is recognised through the Health and Safety Executive and accredited by QualSafe awards and OFQUAL. Course price: £96.00 per person For more details or enquiries, please contact us on 01603 788950 or email carrowbreck@broadland.gov.uk
Most businesses need a skilled workforce to help them drive towards successful future growth and productivity. Ask any employer what they are looking for when recruiting staff, one of the key things that they will all say is ‘the right skills and attitude’. This becomes even more important when applied to young people.
Also commenting on the BCC survey, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“The message from this survey is clear, both education and business feel that work experience is beneficial to our young people. However I feel here in Norfolk, due to the close relationship we have between schools and businesses that we can provide experience of work differently and more effectively.”
“The demands of the new curriculum on schools makes it challenging for students to be released from school, so in addition to offering work experience, businesses need to spend more time in schools alongside teachers making the curriculum subjects relevant to the world of work. It would also enable businesses to bring to life what great opportunities there are here in Norfolk.”
Norfolk Chamber is working towards bridging the gap between education and business, and will deliver a unique event on Friday 20 November which allows the Norfolk education sector have their say with the local business community. Click here for more details of the ‘An Audience with…Norfolk Schools’.
