Contract Personnel, one of East Anglia’s largest independent recruitment agencies, decided to donate a number of laptops to The Free School Norwich – based on Surrey Street. The laptops were surplus to requirements at Contract Personnel – after being used during the pandemic by their consultants at the offices in Norwich, Thetford and Great Yarmouth. As a result, in order to help the children with their learning and to support a school setting close by to their head office, the company opted to donate the laptops for the pupils to use, at the popular and highly successful co-educational school for children aged 4 – 11 years old. Alie Najjar, Group Support Manager at Contract Personnel, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for us to support an educational setting very close to our Norwich office. “We are always keen to help out in the community where we can. I am glad to see that the laptops have been put to good use, and hope they benefit The Free School and offer enhanced learning for the children.” To find out more about the latest job vacancies Contract Personnel have available, visit www.contract-personnel.com Alternatively, call 01603 764044 to speak with the team. Image credit – Joe Randlesome
Ofsted has awarded the accountancy training provider, First Intuition Cambridge Limited, ‘Outstanding’ status in the college’s latest report. The report, published on 17 August 2022, recognises First Intuition as outstanding across all areas of assessment, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitude, personal development, and leadership and management. As of February 2022, only 10% of apprenticeship providers had achieved this grade*. Managing Director Amy Forrest says she is delighted that Ofsted has rated First Intuition’s apprenticeship programmes as outstanding. “Our mission has always been to help finance professionals build and develop amazing careers. We’ve always done this by focussing on the impact on three groups of people: the students who study with us, the employers we provide training for and the colleagues we work with.“Receiving the outstanding rating demonstrates the brilliant impact that these programmes have for our employers and our apprentices. I am exceptionally proud of all of the efforts the team at First Intuition have put into supporting our apprentices and employers has been recognised.“I am looking forward to continuing to work with our fantastic employers and apprentices in the future to continue to develop our programmes further.” Chief Executive Gareth John comments: “From the day we set up First Intuition in East Anglia we were determined to offer the highest level of student support and client care, so it is wonderful to have this result 13 years later. It is a fitting testament to the commitment of a huge team of dedicated professionals.” Over the four-day visit in June 2022, inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the providers’ documentation and records. The report observes that staff at First Intuition “have excellent oversight of the quality of education and training they provide. They constantly strive to maintain the highest standards and are highly reflective of their own practice.“Apprentices make rapid progress through their qualifications. Tutors use highly effective teaching strategies to help apprentices learn and secure their knowledge. “Tutors and coaches help apprentices to develop their own strategies to manage any barriers to learning. This helps these apprentices to progress through their qualifications at the same rate or better than their peers.“Apprentices develop their professional curiosity to a very high standard. Consequently, apprentices make valuable contributions to their employers’ business.“Leaders have established a culture of care and awareness through the education they provide.” First Intuition Cambridge Limited is an independent learning provider that specialises in providing education and training to finance and accountancy students in the East Anglia region. It delivers classroom courses, distance learning options, accounting apprenticeships, as well as post qualification education programmes. At the time of inspection, First Intuition Cambridge Limited had 604 apprentices in training. This includes 70 level 3 assistant accountant programme apprentices, 158 level 4 accountancy taxations technician qualification apprentices, and 376 level 7 accountancy taxation apprentices. First Intuition Cambridge Limited is now one of just three level 7 accounting providers to achieve an outstanding Ofsted rating, the other two also being awarded to First Intuition centres. The full Ofsted report can be downloaded here. *UK government website – report published 30 June 2022 Image provided by Ofsted
More than half of young people believe a university degree makes you more likely to earn a high salary than an apprenticeship
More than a third believe you are less likely to reach the most senior positions within a business if you do an apprenticeship
Schools and colleges still favour students attending university, with almost two thirds encouraging this route over an apprenticeship
Misconceptions around apprenticeships are still influencing the decisions of young people in their career paths, according to new research from accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO. The survey of more than 1,000 people across England found that more than half (51%) of people aged between 18-24 still believe that a university degree makes you more likely to earn a high salary than doing an apprenticeship. The research also found that almost half (49%) believe that apprenticeships are better suited to those who don’t get high enough grades to go to university. Looking at career progression, the survey found that some say an apprenticeship could have a negative impact. More than a third (34%) believe you are less likely to reach the most senior positions within a business if you do an apprenticeship rather than a university degree. The survey also looked into attitudes of education providers and parents and guardians. Two thirds of respondents in the East of England said their school or college encouraged them to go to university rather than apply for an apprenticeship. This figure was higher for young people based in Greater London (70%) and lowest for those based in the North East (55%). More than half (55%) of respondents said their parents or guardians would prefer or have preferred them to go to university over an apprenticeship. The percentage of parents encouraging the university route increased for those from a Black or Asian heritage. Almost three quarters (71%) of those from a Black heritage and 63% of those from an Asian heritage said their parents or guardians would prefer or have preferred them to go to university. Whilst many believe that an apprenticeship may not lead to as highly paid job as a university degree, almost two thirds (64%) of those surveyed do believe that an apprenticeship is more likely to result in a permanent job once completed compared to a university degree. Sarah Hillary, a partner at BDO, commented on the findings: “Despite school leaver apprenticeships being a well-established route into many well-paid professions, including accountancy and law, our research demonstrates that there are still misconceptions about this career path. It is also concerning that more than a third believe doing an apprenticeship rather than a degree could be a barrier to reaching the most senior positions within a business. “Whilst a university education is still a highly regarded achievement, it can also bring a significant amount of debt and additional costs. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to take hold, university may not always be the most attractive or accessible route for young people, particularly those from a lower socio-economic background. “With this in mind, it is important to not just increase the number of quality apprenticeship positions but also raise awareness of how this type of training can create meaningful, sustainable careers whilst giving the opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’. This would be a step in the right direction to improving social mobility in the UK.” A separate survey by BDO recently revealed that apprenticeships could be starting to be seen as a more appealing recruitment strategy with almost a third (29%) of the UK’s medium-sized businesses planning to hire more apprentices in a bid to attract more talent. Sarah added: “It is promising to see more businesses offering apprenticeship positions to attract more talent. We must now continue to ensure that young people from all backgrounds, as well as those influencing their career decisions, are aware of the wealth of opportunities and career progression that quality apprenticeship programmes can provide.” BDO will open applications for its 2023 school leaver apprenticeship programme in September. Positions are available throughout the country, visit https://careers.bdo.co.uk/early-careers for more information. Image credit: Chambers Canva Pro 2022
Ofsted has awarded the accountancy training provider, First Intuition Cambridge Limited, ‘Outstanding’ status in the college’s latest report. The report, published on 17 August 2022, recognises First Intuition as outstanding across all areas of assessment, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitude, personal development, and leadership and management. As of February 2022, only 10% of apprenticeship providers had achieved this grade*. Managing Director Amy Forrest says she is delighted that Ofsted has rated First Intuition’s apprenticeship programmes as outstanding. “Our mission has always been to help finance professionals build and develop amazing careers. We’ve always done this by focussing on the impact on three groups of people: the students who study with us, the employers we provide training for and the colleagues we work with.“Receiving the outstanding rating demonstrates the brilliant impact that these programmes have for our employers and our apprentices. I am exceptionally proud of all of the efforts the team at First Intuition have put into supporting our apprentices and employers has been recognised.“I am looking forward to continuing to work with our fantastic employers and apprentices in the future to continue to develop our programmes further.” Chief Executive Gareth John comments: “From the day we set up First Intuition in East Anglia we were determined to offer the highest level of student support and client care, so it is wonderful to have this result 13 years later. It is a fitting testament to the commitment of a huge team of dedicated professionals.” Over the four-day visit in June 2022, inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the providers’ documentation and records. The report observes that staff at First Intuition “have excellent oversight of the quality of education and training they provide. They constantly strive to maintain the highest standards and are highly reflective of their own practice.“Apprentices make rapid progress through their qualifications. Tutors use highly effective teaching strategies to help apprentices learn and secure their knowledge. “Tutors and coaches help apprentices to develop their own strategies to manage any barriers to learning. This helps these apprentices to progress through their qualifications at the same rate or better than their peers.“Apprentices develop their professional curiosity to a very high standard. Consequently, apprentices make valuable contributions to their employers’ business.“Leaders have established a culture of care and awareness through the education they provide.” First Intuition Cambridge Limited is an independent learning provider that specialises in providing education and training to finance and accountancy students in the East Anglia region. It delivers classroom courses, distance learning options, accounting apprenticeships, as well as post qualification education programmes.
Skills Bootcamps are to train 240 people in construction, logistics and other sectors facing labour shortages – boosting their employability. New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership has appointed eight specialist training providers to run the courses after working with Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils to secure £1m of funding from the Department for Education. Skills Bootcamps are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee for everyone to gain skills for life and 240 learners in Norfolk and Suffolk will benefit from the scheme by March 2023. They will be given IT, construction, logistics, domestic retrofit or green skills, and introductions to arboriculture and farming, as well as training in leadership and management. The eight providers include four from the New Anglia region: • Action Community Enterprises CIC (ACE), which supports young people and unemployed adults in Norfolk • Netmatters, which has offices in Wymondham, Great Yarmouth and Cambridge • Suffolk New College, which has campuses in Ipswich, Leiston and Otley • Turning Factor, which has offices in Norwich and Cambridge The other four are: • Anicca Digital Ltd, an award-winning digital marketing agency • CoGrammar Ltd, an edtech startup that focuses on closing the global tech skills gap • House Builder XL Ltd, a software developer for small construction businesses • The Retrofit Academy CIC, which develops new qualifications and training to support the Government’s net zero agenda. The courses will be free to individual learners and open to anyone aged 19+ with the right to live and work in the UK. People taking part will learn new skills to enter employment or enhance skills to support career progression. The self-employed will be able to build their skills so they can win new business. These will be short, intensive training courses, lasting from around 60 hours to 16 weeks and involving a mix of in-person and online learning – depending on the course. Courses will start at different times from September 2022 to March 2023. Learners will receive a completion certificate which will increase their employability. Many lead to an actual qualification! “We will even guarantee the unemployed an interview at the end of their course with a local employer,” says New Anglia LEP’s recently appointed Skills Broker, Bev Wallman. “The Skills Bootcamps are heavily subsidised to encourage take-up. SMEs will pay just 10% of the cost of training their employees, which is exceptional value for money. Larger companies will pay 30% but that still represents a significant cost saving.” New Anglia LEP’s Skills Advisory Panel consulted widely with industry to identify the sectors with significant unfilled vacancies and where business growth was most at risk from skills gaps. These Skills Bootcamps will enable such businesses to recruit from within, so helping them win the war for talent while boosting productivity. Their employees will not only gain new skills but will also grow in confidence and self-esteem. The Skills Bootcamps will deliver practical training in skills that individuals can immediately apply at work. They will also come with ‘wrap-around’ services such as mentoring and coaching, particularly for the unemployed, to help them apply for work. By providing targeted training to key sectors in the local economy, New Anglia LEP, alongside Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, aims to support individuals and businesses during challenging times. Cllr Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council Cabinet member for Growing the Economy, said: “We are always looking for ways to boost skills in Norfolk, and securing such a large investment is a fantastic step towards this. “The money will enable us to deliver flexible and accessible courses to those in and out of work, boosting skills and wages in key areas such as digital, technical, and green roles. “These courses will give people the skills they need to access in-demand jobs and higher pay in the future.” Cllr Rachel Hood, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Education, SEND and Skills, said: “The Skills Bootcamps will provide a new opportunity for businesses in several areas of the economy to upskill their staff in areas of need and recruit new talent.” Find out more To find out how businesses can apply on behalf of their employees, please contact New Anglia LEP’s Skills Broker Bev Wallman at Skills@NewAnglia.co.uk.
Students receiving their results from further education courses today are being congratulated for their efforts. The first students to sit A level exams since 2019 and those receiving AS Level and Level 3 Vocational Technical Qualifications and the first T-Levels are all being praised for their determination, with the educational settings which have supported them also being recognised. Cllr John Fisher, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Norfolk County Council said, “We know students receiving their exam results have faced some challenging and uncertain times over the last two and a half years of unprecedented disruption to their education. “With the support of their schools, colleges, and families, the resilience and perseverance of these young people, many of whom have sat major exams for the first time, has shone through and I hope every single one of them is very proud of what they have achieved. “I wish them all the very best as take their next steps whether that is to university, an apprenticeship or entering into the workplace.” Every year sees students facing decisions over what to do next with a growing variety of options available for young people at 18.
Norfolk County Council’s Help You Choose website offers a wide range of help and support on different options and advice on next steps whatever their results, support with CV writing, apprenticeship vacancies, and information about different careers. It also has a space for parents or carers to help them understand the different options for their child.
UCAS offers guidance to support students through the process of securing a university place with information about insurance choices and clearing. Anyone who has just missed out on the grades they need they should contact the admissions team at their preferred university, as they may still be able to offer them a place. There are already nearly 30,000 courses available in clearing this year so there will be plenty of high-quality choices available.
Students can find out more about education and training choices by visiting the ‘Get the Jump’ Skills for Life content hub on the National Careers Service website. During the exam results period, the hub will also have key information on resits, clearing, appeals and more. Students can also chat directly to an expert adviser via webchat or by calling the National Careers Service exam results helpline on 0800 100 900 from Thursday 18 August until Friday 2 September open weekday between 8am and 8pm and Saturday 10am to 5pm.
Norfolk and Waveney’s Children and Young People’s Health Services Just One Norfolk website offers mental health support and helpful advice on managing anxiety.
We will be taking a trip to the Caribbean this Christmas with our themed Christmas party nights for 2022. Think tiki bars and coconuts as you soak up the Caribbean atmosphere right here at Carrow Road. Tickets are £45 per person and include an arrival drink, table nibbles, 2-course buffet and evening entertainment. You can reserve your date now with a non-refundable £10 deposit per ticket by contacting us on 01603 218724 and speaking to our special events team. These events are over 18’s only. Available Dates: Fri 2nd, Sat 3rd, Thurs 8th, Fri 9th, Sat 10th, Thurs 15th and Fri 16th December 2022 https://www.deliascanarycatering.co.uk/PagesPublic/UserControlled/UserDefined.aspx?page=theme Image provided by Norwich City Football Club
Our popular party nights featuring Delia’s Traditional Christmas recipes are back for 2022, bringing you all together for the festive period. With stunning views over the floodlit pitch, the evening includes a welcome glass of prosecco on arrival, a 3-course dinner followed by coffee with homemade chocolates and mince pies. Then dancing til the early hours to our resident DJ. Tickets are priced at £49.50. You can reserve your date now with a £10 non-refundable deposit per ticket by contacting us on 01603 218724 and speaking to our special events team. These events are over 18’s only. Available Dates: Fri 2nd, Sat 3rd, Thurs 8th, Fri 9th, Sat 10th, Thurs 15th and Sat 17th December 2022 Image provided by Norwich City Football Club
For the fourth year running, Howes Percival’s Private Client team has been ranked for Private Wealth Law in the Chambers High Net Worth guide for Norwich and Surrounds. One of only three firms ranked in the region for this practice area, the guide describes the team as “strong and intellectually bright” and goes on to say “there is a good mix of experience and relevant qualifications to assist in the specialist area.” Partners Tom Lawrence and Stuart Maggs, Head of Private Client and Head of Tax respectively, are listed as notable practitioners. An interviewee said of Tom Lawrence, “In my opinion, there is no other private client lawyer I would want to be representing me,” whilst another went on to comment “Stuart continues to be the go-to person for top-end, high net worth individual tax and legal advice in Norwich.” The guide is published annually by Chambers and Partners and is based on in-depth analysis provided by a team of experienced researchers. Chambers High Net Worth is aimed at the international private wealth market. The guide researches and ranks the world’s best lawyers and provides objective guidance for high net worth individuals, family offices and professional advisers. Information is sourced through comprehensive market research and interviews with firms’ clients as well as industry contacts. The guide is one of the most respected and trusted within the industry. Tom Lawrence, Partner and Head of Private Client at Howes Percival said:
“The high ranking secured in this year’s Chambers High Net Worth guide accurately reflects the quality and commitment of our talented team of lawyers to delivering leading advice to clients both in the UK and beyond. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved together so far and have exciting plans to further develop our current offering in an area of key growth for the firm going forwards.”
View Howes Percival’s ranking in the Chambers High Net Worth guide here. To find out more about the services offered by the Private Client team click here. Image owned by Howes Percival