Member News

KLM UK Engineering has been awarded Apprenticeship Employer of the Year for Large Company (over 250 staff) by City College Norwich at their annual Apprenticeship Awards. Andy Mackay, Operations Director, said: “We are extremely honoured to have received this award and look forward to our continuing cooperation with City College Norwich and, in the future, the new Norwich International Aviation Academy.” Photographed left to right – Arjan Meijer KLM UK Managing Director, Andy Mackay KLM UK Operations Director & Corrienne Peasgood Principle City College Norwich.

2 March 2015

Thousands of visitors came to find out more about farming during the sixth anniversary of a college’s lambing weekend. The event took place at the Easton campus of Easton and Otley College in Norfolk.

Farm Manager, Mark Robertson, said, “I’ve been involved in this event for a few years now and this was by far the busiest. It was a great couple of days out for all the family. Visitors got to see a host of attractions. We had lambs being born on our farm and turkeys were hatched at the campus thanks to a link up with Bernard Matthews. BQP attended and got to see how investment in their new pig unit was coming along – and overall the occasion was all about making agriculture seem real, diverse and most importantly fun.”

Highland cattle and sheepdog trials joined arts and craft stands on both days. Also, an information event (on the Saturday) attracted hundreds of students who got the chance to find out about the range of college courses on offer including non-land based options such as sport and construction.

Head of land-based studies, Marty Davey, (who thought about changing his job title temporarily to head of lamb-based studies for the weekend), said, “Visitors showed a lot of interest in Jimmy and Frank – a Suffolk Ram and a Norfolk Horn breed who had been sprayed in the colours of Ipswich and Norwich in the run up to local Derby on Sunday.” “Yet in addition to this, it was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the college and our courses.”

Former student Kathryn Mortimer who now works for one of the exhibitors BQP, said, “It was a great event and we were delighted to be involved. When I left Easton and Otley I went straight into work (with BQP) and I love my job as a field’s person. It was also great to attend as I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of the college.”

Attendee, Christine Lorne brought her two sons along. She said, “We came along to see the lambs. Both my boys (George and James) are budding farmers so the day was great for them.”

A selection of photos from the weekend can be seen using the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.896948063690009.1073741844.104…https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/easton_college_lambing_weekend_1_397…

To recognise national apprenticeship week, LSI Partner Ben Goode (second from right) has shared his thoughts on the importance of apprenticeships and how LSI have been able to successfully implement an apprenticeship scheme within the company.

“The skills gap is hindering the development of every business. The skills gap exists because business are unable to or unprepared to take a leap of faith, and are judging potential employees based on skills, which they are unlikely to have. There is a disconnect between educational facilities and real industry that needs to be addressed, so that young people are taught skills that they need to succeed in industry, and not just in theory.

Apprenticeships are key to reconnecting our educational facilities to industry and in doing so helping to bridge the skills gap that is so damaging to industry.

A visit from our local MP, Chloe Smith, led to LSI thinking about how we could do more to offer opportunities to young people locally. Through Norwich4Jobs, a scheme set up to help young people into employment opportunities, 10% of our staff line consisted of apprentices last year, and we are currently in the process of employing another apprentice.

We are incredibly proud of our record of giving young people a chance and are seeing the benefits of this approach. All of the apprentices we have taken on have fitted in well because they have fantastic attitudes. They work incredibly hard, and are learning and improving all the time. We had no difficulties with their attitudes towards ‘work’, and have actually found their fresh energy and outlook to be inspiring. It has given our existing employees a morale boost to see that we are doing our bit to tackle a societal problem. They have been more than happy to engage with and help our young apprentices; both by making them feel ‘at home’ and by passing on their knowledge and expertise.

We do not view our apprentices as any less important than our full-time employees, and they are given work that is very real, albeit with all the support that they need.

Two of our apprentices, having completed their qualifications with us, have moved on to the next chapter of their careers. Another two apprentices, again having completed one stage of their qualifications, have stayed with us and will now start the next level of their qualifications.

At LSI, when we interview young people we look first and foremost for attitude. We know that we can train people, to provide them with the skills, but you cannot train attitude. If they have the right attitude to learn and improve then we always try our utmost to make sure they get the opportunities to do so.

We have built strong working relationships with many educational facilities. We’ve done this by making sure we engage with them as much as possible, so that they know what we need and we know what they need. We do our utmost to attend events, for example a recent college event aimed at construction students where we exhibited some work and some of the exciting new technology in the industry. We received encouraging feedback because we engaged the students, and hopefully inspired them to enter the industry.

Other initiatives include open office events, where we invite students to come and see what we do, or speaking at schools, colleges and universities to tell them about what we do and inspire them to do the same.

As a result of all this, we have been able to forge continuing relationships with educational facilities, and they know that at LSI Architects, providing they have the right attitude, their students will be given opportunities.

We hope that our approach, and the recognition that it has achieved can inspire other businesses to join us in investing in the future.”

Petans are pleased to announce that we have funded the uniform and equipment for the Potter Heigham Areas Community First Responders Group, helping them to aid and assist life threatening emergencies within the Catfield, Ludham, Potter Heigham, Martham and Hickling area. Our very own Jennie Douse (Financial Controller) has been a volunteer member at Potter Heigham group since August 2014 and instigated the relationship between Petans and The First Responders. Fellow members, Shelley Moore and Ashley McNeill came to the Norwich training centre to show off their new uniforms and equipment, along with Andrew Barlow – Community Partnership Manager for East of England Ambulance Service.

Petans have helped to fund 3 uniforms, and a response bag, a Welmed Ipad SP1 defibrillator, Pulse Oximetor and suction equipment for the team, helping the group to cover such an extensive area. Being a charity that’s top priority is to benchmark a high standard of safety within the energy sector; it is easy to see the importance of schemes such as the Community First Responders.

If you want to know more regarding First Responders please go to:https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/get-involved/community-first-responders.htmor emailresponderadmin@eastamb.nhs.uk

All photography bywww.bethmoseleyphotography.co.uk

March 9th is start of National Apprentice Week 2015 – a week dedicated to celebrating apprenticeships and the value they have for businesses, individuals and the economy. Between 2013 and 2014, the government invested £1.5bn into apprenticeships; increasing the businesses involved in designing the new apprenticeship standards, and the career paths available to potential apprentices.

The days when apprentices were considered the “tea makers” of a business are long gone, and the opportunities have widened dramatically – in fact, there are 1,500 different apprenticeships now available in over 170 industries!

GML Consulting Ltd., a creative web design, development and marketing company in Norwich, have recruited a number of apprentices over the years; positively impacting on the business and employees. These apprenticeships include roles in areas such as web development, IT, project management and marketing – showing just a few of the vast variety of apprenticeships on offer in the UK right now.

Gemma Howell, junior project and marketing coordinator at GML Consulting, completed her apprenticeship at the company 8 months ago and has been kept on as a permanent member of staff. She has this to say about the value of apprenticeships and working for GML;

“I had planned to go to university when I finished college; this had always been my plan since leaving high school. However, a month before I was due to go, I changed my mind. I had seen so many people struggle to get their dream jobs, after completing their degrees – and I realised that the main reason I was planning to go to university was because that’s what had been drummed into me at school. The business admin apprenticeship at GML gave me a year of in-depth learning and invaluable experience. When I completed the apprenticeship and was kept on as a permanent employee, it really made me appreciate how valuable apprenticeships really are. My knowledge has grown dramatically in all areas of web, marketing and management, and I have developed great working relationships with both my colleagues and clients. I can safely say that I love my job – something I thought I’d never say without having gone to university!”

GML Consulting have now enrolled Gemma on an Enterprise apprenticeship course to further her business and enterprise skills and benefit the business further, with Swarm Apprenticeships. Swarm are training providers who focus on developing young people, encouraging entrepreneurism and enabling apprentices to deliver the greatest return on investment for the businesses they work for.

Elliott Garner, currently enrolled on a Swarm marketing apprenticeship course at GML, said;

“The monthly Swarm training workshops definitely help, as they have taught me how to manage and make better use of my time. The assignments have also made me learn a lot through the research I have done for them.

Before I started my apprenticeship, I thought there may be a chance that I wouldn’t be treated equally, as I was fairly young and unexperienced. However, my colleagues have been extremely helpful, very friendly, patient and understanding. I now think that many young people leaving high school/college should do an apprenticeship as it’s unbelievably valuable and teaches the necessary skills needed in later life.”

Nikki Long, General Manager at GML said;

“GML currently have 4 apprentices and are recruiting for a 5th for a web development position. Over the years we have found that our apprentices have greatly enhanced the business with their ideas and enthusiasm for learning. When we employ an apprentice we always have a position available at the end of the course, meaning that if they successfully complete their courses, and fit in with our company ethos, we will offer a permanent positon.

We recently started working with Swarm Apprenticeships as they offer something a little bit different. Alongside the apprenticeship course, whether in IT, Marketing, Web Development, or their unique Enterprise Apprenticeship, Swarm offer business entrepreneurial training to ensure they have a grounding of how a business works, and how they can contribute to the business’ success.

GML look for people to come into the company and grow with it. This means there is ample opportunity for making ‘the job’ into what suits their goals and ambitions in life. Here at GML we give people a voice and the time to excel in their particular area of expertise”

Chris Perry, Managing Director at Swarm Apprenticeships;

“GML are a fantastic example of an enterprising business that recognises that investing in young people is also about providing real opportunities for them to be empowered to make an impact in the business.

Apprentices can make a big difference towards the growth of a business when given the right support and training. Swarm’s goal with any apprentice is to grow their commercial awareness and coach them so they can develop an entrepreneurial mind-set that helps look for the opportunity to stand out and deliver a return on investment for the business”

Norfolk Adult Education is holding an Apprenticeship Day on Thursday 12th March 2pm-5pm, which Gemma and Elliott from GML Consulting will be volunteering at, for school and college leavers, unemployed individuals, and business owners that may be interested in hiring an apprentice. The event will take place at Wensum Lodge, Norwich NR1 1QW. More info here – https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC162481.

Ends

Shield Health and Safety are proud to show off their 2015 Training Brochure which is now being distributed to all of its clients.

Wensum Print have done a fantasic job of producing a high quality yet bespoke solution to Shields new training brohure

Within it, are highlighted some of the new additions to Shields training portfolio for 2015, as well as an in-depth explanation of its unique loyalty system.

If you would like a 2015 brochure, then please get in contact with the team by either for or email and we will arrange delivery –

www.shieldhealthandsafety.co.uk

Local law firm Steeles Law, which has offices in Norwich and Diss as well as Central London, has announced a senior appointment ahead of a planned office move to refurbished offices in Diss town centre.

Ruth Pyatt is a further recruit to the solicitors’ large and well respected wills, probate and tax team. Ruth, who qualified as a Solicitor in Scotland in 2007, brings to the firm a unique specialism in cross-border matters, as well as advising locally on Wills, Inheritance Tax, estate planning and probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and the creation and administration of trusts.

Stephen Drake, CEO at Steeles Law, commented: “2015 is proving an exciting year for Steeles. Achievement of the Investors in People Silver award – a first for law firms in Norfolk – and the further expansion of our private client teams, together with our move to more high street based premises in Diss, will allow us to present an innovative, modern and accessible face to our clients and business partners”.

Steeles Law will move from 2 Mount Street to St Nicholas House, 3 St Nicholas Street, Diss in the spring. The offices are currently undergoing extensive refurbishment and a date for the move will be announced in the coming months.

AFI KLM E&M subsidiary offers support for the entire aircraft lifecycle.

Paris, Amstelveen, Norwich – 6 March 2015 – KLM UK Engineering is pleased to have been awarded the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) Accreditation for Aircraft Disassembly.

Building on the existing EASA Part 145/147 & FAA 145 Approval and the UK Environment Agency Approval, KLM UK Engineering operates a purpose built disassembly facility delivering a quality product.

Norwich based KLM UK Engineering, which is part of Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance, has over 40 year’s experience in aircraft maintenance. KLM UK Engineering operates a 5 bay heavy maintenance facility, a disassembly and recycling centre, a network of line stations and a technical training college. As such, KLM UK Engineering offers support for the entire aircraft lifecycle.

On Tuesday March 4th Investors in People (IIP) accredited Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) with its prestigious Silver Award, calling the firm a “rewarding and positive place to work”.

With offices in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich, Pure is the only recruitment business in the East of England to have been awarded silver accreditation, according to the latest IIP records.

Investors in People is a management framework for high performance through people. This prestigious accreditation is recognised across the world as a mark of excellence. The IIP assessment recognised Pure as an organisation with a strong vision and purpose, operating within a “supportive” and “empowering” culture. Pure’s strengths were identified as: involving staff in planning and strategy; creating a culture of openness and trust; a strong social responsibility ethos; an openness to new ideas and continuous improvement; and the provision of a range of work-life balance solutions. These have all created a proud and committed workforce.

Gill Buchanan, Director of Pure, says: “The national IIP Silver Award means a great deal to us as it demonstrates that the relationships we have with our people enables them to build the long-term, positive relationships with our clients and candidates.

“In recent years, we have been very focused on employee engagement, which has enabled us to grow with our values at the heart of the business,” explains Lynn Walters, also a Director at Pure and a co-founder of the Best Employer initiative. She adds: “We have awarded many local organisations for their excellent engagement strategies, and it feels very rewarding to receive the IIP Silver accreditation, which tells us that our own engagement practices are very successful.”

Pure has been working with an IIP specialist from EMB Excellence Ltd (emb-x), the organisation that delivers the IIP service for central England.

Neil Farish, Head of Marketing for emb-x, says: “Pure is a strong business that is professionally managed by directors who strongly believe in the value of developing people and creating an open, honest and positive working environment.Pure is a good example of an IIP organisation in that they clearly see the business benefits of embedding key values that support future success.”

Pure is succeeding in digital staff engagement too. The firm has just won the first annual Jostle Award for its vibrant and engaging intranet, which celebrates its people, and reflects its knowledge and values. The firm’s intranet receives an enviable 80% or more engagement level each week.

For more information about Pure’s IIP Silver Award and its Jostle Award, contact Gill Buchanan on 01223 209888 or gill@prs.uk.com

Great Yarmouth based True Traders have bought local courier consolidators Diamond Logistics Norwich after being the largest customer of the company for over a year. True Traders were so impressed with the transformation of their operations after partnering with Diamond Logistics Norwich that they decided to buy the company!

Previously owned by Kevin Baker, Diamond Logistics Norwich are a Multi-Carrier Solution for parcels. It utilises national contracts with most major courier and logistics companies, which allow significantly lower rates than can be achieved individually.

True Traders is a family run online retailer that specialise in building, garden and outdoor products. Managing Director Michael Bezance explained the investment: ‘Given how Diamond Logistics Norwich have changed the way we work, and the potential within the company, once the opportunity presented itself to us it was a very easy decision to make. For True Traders to continue our rapid growth we have to compete with the big online retailers like Amazon, Tescos, B&Q etc, and Diamond Logistics Norwich has allowed us to do just that. The business has reduced our costs, while significantly increasing levels of service both for the customer and from the courier. We liked the company so much we just had to buy it!’

New Managing Director of Diamond Logistics Norwich Tom Bezance said ‘Kevin has done a great job with the company so far, but we felt that with the resources within True Traders we stood a very good chance of growing the company rapidly. The ‘MultiCarrier Solutions’ service can benefit many local small and medium sized businesses, taking away a lot of the cost and hassle of sending parcels and allowing them to spend more time growing the business. This is already a proven formula for True Traders for both UK deliveries and abroad.

Tom and experienced Business Development Manager Chris Wilson hope to see the company flourish in the future. ‘We hope to quickly increase our customer base in the Norwich and Great Yarmouth areas to begin with, we know there are plenty of businesses out there that would benefit considerably from our services.’

For 2 years now our Operations Director Francesca de Lacey has been going on about her love of reusable nappies, and her despair over the lack of information for parents about the options available.

So imagine her delight when JMS was approached by the owner of one of the UK’s biggest reusable brands – Little Lamb Nappies – to create some professional promotional videos.

Being herself a user of cloth nappies and the brand, Francesca was the perfect choice to front the productions – a first for a reusable nappy brand – and show, ‘mum-to-mum’, how they work.Covering the 3 main types (One Size Pocket, Sized Pocket and Nappy & Wrap) the films introduce the numerous benefits, look, absorbency and fit of cloth nappies.

Filming took place in our TV studio in Norwich with one day shooting presenter links and a second day capturing the antics of 6 ‘cloth bum baby’ models for the title sequences.

The short films are a great introduction to this growing market and JMS has loved working with this fantastic brand and shooting with a bunch of funny, crazy and unpredictable youngsters! (oh, and the babies too….!)

Local insurance brokers and financial planners Alan Boswell Group (ABG) have announced they will be supporting ‘Break’ as their Charity of the Year for 2015. Break, a Norfolk based charity has been providing a diverse range of specialist residential and community based services for vulnerable children, young people and families across East Anglia for over 45 years.

Alan Boswell Group have committed to sponsoring two dragons in this year’s GoGoDragons! Heritage Trail around Norwich City centre before the dragons are auctioned off for the charity and will also be taking part in Break’s other events including the Hunny Bell Cross Country and the Great Norwich Duck Race in August.

Additionally the Group will be hosting a golf day at Costessey Park for corporate guests and hoping to improve on their own performance in the annual ‘Boswell Cup’, an inter-business football tournament held at Carrow Road in May. Various raffles, cake sales and dress down days will boost the coffers in what, the Group hope, will be another bumper year in terms of charitable giving.

Director of Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers, Heath Alexander-Bew, said: “Raising money for charity is a really simple way of helping our local community whilst building team spirit. It is a classic win-win situation and we’re really pleased to be able to support Break during one of their biggest fund raising years ever.

“GoGoDragons! promises to be an incredible event and we’re really pleased to be a part of it. We’ve chosen to take part in the Heritage trail to help highlight the incredible buildings whilst building stronger links with the community.”

Martin Green, Project Manager at Break, reiterated Heath’s comments “Our charitable events always prove immensely popular, especially the Norwich Duck Race. It’s a great way for people to enjoy a day out whilst helping others at the same time.

“We’re obviously thrilled to have Alan Boswell Group commit to their fund raising events this year on behalf of Break and are looking forward to a successful partnership.”

GoGoDragons! is a Wild in Art event brought to Norwich by Break charity. You can find out more about GoGoDragons! By visiting the dedicated website or searching GoGoDragons! on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

About Alan Boswell Group

Alan Boswell Group (ABG) is a Chartered Insurance Brokers and regional Independent Financial Planners with over 220 staff based across five locations – Norwich, Attleborough, Bury St Edmunds, Peterborough and London. Established in 1982 the company offers a wide range of insurance broking and financial services from landlords’ insurance and self-drive hire to pensions, protection and investment advice. Alan Boswell Group are proud sponsors of NCFC and look after the insurance for the Championship Club.

Visit www.alanboswellgroup.com for more information