KLM UK Engineering have been supporting UTCN students with a core project as part of their year 12 studies. The project is designed to introduce students to industry and solving problems in a business environment. The winning team visited KLMUKE and presented its findings to the senior management team & had a tour of the facilities. The winning team ‘Crash Bang Wallop’ – Will Porter, Willow Woodmin, Brandon Jeakings and Ben Allen, are pictured below with Arjan Meijer, Luke Frost and their tutor Max Molenaar.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” – Captain Kirk, Wrath of Khan 1982.
From a Norfolk Developers, Naked Element and a personal point of view NorDevCon 2016 was a huge success. We had the largest number of attendees we’ve ever had by a significant margin. The Thursday workshops attracted a total of about thirty people, Friday saw over 400 and there were about 250 on Saturday. Surely the best of times.
In his presentation, “Silicon Broad: Bridges not Valleys” Jon Bradford, former MD of TechStars, said that nor(DEV):con needed to move to a new, larger venue and be 800 people next year. It’s true that in terms of numbers nor(DEV):con has come a long way from the 160 people who attended its first incarnation, SyncConf.
Our current venue is almost certainly the only option for the five track conference format we use. However, with 400 people in the main auditorium the sponsors and lunch area gets a little tight. The other four rooms we use have capacities of 120, 100, 40 and 18. When you take an average that’s 80 people in each room. Immediately it’s obvious that an even distribution of people wouldn’t work. Of course, people don’t usually distribute themselves evenly. It’s difficult to know which sessions are going to be the most popular, so knowing where to put which speakers is difficult and ultimately, we get it wrong sometimes.
While it’s fantastic that the conference is so popular, there are times when delegates can’t get to see the speakers they want because a room is full and almost every time there’s another room with only a handful of people in it. The worst of times.
So what to do about it? There are a number of options.
I’ve already identified that another venue isn’t really an option.
We could ask people to specify which sessions they would like to attend in advance and place the speakers accordingly. This would take quite a bit more organisation and is difficult as the programme is often changing right up until the day.
We could restrict the number of people on any one day to about 350, that would go some way towards relieving the overcrowding.
We’ve spent a long time scaling vertically (increasing the number of people on one day). We could consider scaling horizontally (more days, with less people each day) and perhaps dropping the smallest conference room. The issue with this is people having to spend more time away from work, which, given the eco system of small companies in Norfolk, isn’t likely to be popular.
This is usually where I would present the ideal solution, drawn from a consideration of all the options. However, this is one of those problems which requires a lot more thought and discussion with experienced individuals. The discussions and head scratching continue.
As part of our quest to develop enterprise across the region, Swarm is pleased to launch new bite sized workshops across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex which aredesigned to introduce employeesinto developing enterprising attitudes in the workplace and learning to measure their own impact across the business.
Developed by Swarm Enterprise in conjunction with leading business author and entrepreneur Robert Ashton,the aim of the day is to enable each delegates to look for more ways to they can deliver impact that can influence the growth of both the organisation and their own careers.
Chris Perry Swarm Group Managing director comments ” many of our business who have had a Swarm Enterprise apprentice have asked if we could do something for their existing staff as there is a real need for making employees more accountable inmeasuring the impact they have on the bottom line and becoming more entrepreneurial in the way they work. This one day taster session helps those who may not have the time to dedicate to a longer course but wantto understand how they can start to develop the enterprisingskills and attitude tomaximise their futureimpact and career”.
The workshops will be delivered by leading business author Robert Ashton and in conjunction with Carl Long ,Swarm Enterprise Trainer.
Before looking into SSL certificates, I had absolutely no idea what they were or what they did, which is surprising now that I know both of those things because they are very important for websites to have.
In short, an SSL certificate, or Secure Sockets Layer certificate, is a way to encrypt traffic on your website to make it more secure for users so that they are confident their information is secure on your website. This traffic could include transaction details, which is why an SSL certificate is essential for websites that handle transactions.
I’ve also learnt that there are different kinds of SSL certificates and which one you choose for your website requires some careful consideration. There are multiple kinds of SSL certificates that cater to different needs of the certificate holder. Some of these certificates are a Domain Validation certificate, an Organisation Validation certificate and an Extended Validation certificate .
The Extended Validation certificate provides the highest level of security because the applicant must provide a multitude of company details so that the Certificate Authority can verify the existence of the applicant, as well as their identity and their rights to use their website. This certificate comes with the highest price however and not all businesses will need an Extended Validation certificate.
That’s probably a lot to read and understand, it certainly was for me to begin with, so to put it in simple terms, each certificate application process has a different number authorisation steps before the certificate can be issued and the certificates that prove the highest levels of security and confidentiality to users of a website require the most information before it is issued.
There are many vendors of SSL certificates nowadays, as their use has grown substantially in the last few years, but some noteworthy ones are GoDaddy and GlobalSign. Certificates provided from these two Certificate Authorities, or CA’s for short, are trusted by most browsers and devices and have their Root Certificates stored in the browsers/devices root store, which is where the trusted root certificates are held.
The root store is basically a database that is used to store all of the trusted certificates that comes pre-installed with the browser or device.
A very wordy and somewhattechieexplanation of what SSL certificates areand what they do, I know, but hopefully it is an insight into what goes into making a website secure for users because I certainly had no idea!
Breakwater IT, EBS and Swains Plc, leading technology providers within the region, would like to announce the launch of the Eastern Technology Alliance – a means of simplifying and enhancing the way businesses manage their IT, print services and telecommunications and data networks.
The three independent companies have formed this alliance based on a mutual resolve to align their products and services, delivering both the choice of technology and level of innovation demanded by the ever-evolving corporate world. Founded on years’ working along-side each other within the industry and a shared trust in the capabilities and efficiencies offered as individual companies, there is confidence that the alliance will not only deliver a straightforward route to outsourcing and procuring business technologies, but will also provide an excellent quality of customer-focused service.
Working together, Breakwater, EBS and Swains Plc have the capacity to deliver a wide range of solutions and continuous level of service; be it fully managed IT support, a new wide-format printer or a Fibre Ethernet internet connection. The alliance eliminates the need to approach a number of different providers to manage a business’s IT, print and telecoms needs; instead all office technologies can be sourced, maintained and upgraded through three companies operating seamlessly together.
Breakwater IT offers professional support, consultancy and technology solutions to organisations throughout the UK, including managed services, project work, online back-up and disaster recovery, site surveys, hardware procurement, software licensing advice, business telecoms and other related services.
Peter Davies, Chairman of Breakwater commented: ‘I am delighted that Breakwater has joined up with Swains Plc and EBS to form this alliance. We already know both companies well, both as existing clients and suppliers, and feel that because we all share the same commitment to customer service and strategic planning, we will have a unique offering in the East Anglian Region and beyond.’
EBS is a specialist print-provider, delivering high quality print, copy and scan solutions to businesses. Working with the very best print and copier providers, including Konica Minolta, Sharp, Samsung, Olivetti and Kip, EBS has a range of machines to suit varying business needs; together with a knowledgeable team that are committed to keeping businesses on trend with changing technologies.
Kevin Francis, Managing Director of EBS commented: ‘It was very clear from the start that Breakwater IT & Swains Plc share the same values as EBS when it comes to delivering on customer expectation. Our businesses fit perfectly when it comes to complementing each other’s strengths in this converging market place; therefore, if it’s IT, communications or print, our alliance has the vision and energy to provide an affordable solution to any business work flow you might have.’
Swains Plc is a prominent communications provider, supplying a wide range of voice and data services to corporate and government organisations. Solutions are designed and tailored to the requirements of individual clients and include carrier grade telecoms, broadband, VoIP business and mobile products.
Charles Wilson, CEO of Swains Plc commented: ‘Swains are proud to be supplying the voice and data networks supporting the services provided by this unique customer-focused alliance. We know Breakwater IT and EBS very well and have always been impressed by their expertise and excellent service, both of which were major factors in our decision to join the alliance. The most important element for us though was theshared approach to our business cultures and aspirations,instigatingthe vision of an alliance – a fully integrated, one-stop technology shop. We hope to bringclarity to an environment where converging technologies often blur the lines of supplier responsibility.’
The Eastern Technology Alliance represents the resolve of Breakwater, EBS and Swains Plc to continue to develop the service they offer and, simultaneously, open up a simpler, more inclusive route to innovative business technologies.
As we move into an era where it will be increasingly common to find up to five different generations of people working alongside each other, we’ve compiled some tips to help employers successfully integrate new recruits into a multigenerational workforce.
The latest people to be entering the workforce, known as ‘Generation Z’, are the most tech-savvy of generations. Born after 1995, this generation will add another element to an already varied workforce made up of Millennials (born 1977-1994), Generation X (born 1965-1976), the Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) and the Traditionalists (born 1925-1945), many of whom are choosing to stay on beyond retirement age.
Each generation brings a different set of values, attitudes and behaviours. They also have their own expectations, priorities, approaches and communication styles. Most importantly they all have extremely valuable skills which, if successfully combined, will provide businesses with a very powerful workforce to really boost business performance.
One of the most challenging aspects of managing multiple generations in the workplace is getting each group to respect the unique talents of the other. So how can employers help encourage a sense of teamwork which spans the generations?
Build collaborative relationships, starting with the induction
Adapting the induction process to immediately create a more inclusive approach could be one way to help manage generational differences from the outset. Try to get different generations working together from the start. Is it possible to pair the new recruit up with a highly experienced colleague who can act as an induction mentor? This will immediately help to inspire a knowledge transfer between those who know the industry, inside and out, with those entering their chosen career with fresh enthusiasm and a potentially new perspective.
Create opportunities for cross-generational mentoring
Managers should actively try to get mixed generation teams working together on projects, making the most of the varying skills each generation can bring. Studies show that people learn more from working with each other than from external training. To do this a culture needs to be created where new ideas can be expressed and a collaborative approach is adopted to fuel discussion and engagement. Without compromising on what has made the business special and successful to date, embrace the creativity and different perspectives a new generation can bring.
Invite new ideas
We are also hearing from senior directors who are actively seeking younger mentors to gain a different perspective. By inviting new ideas, even if a suggestion put forward is something which has previously been explored, or already tried, don’t immediately dismiss it. A new generation could be looking at it from a completely new angle and their enthusiasm should be encouraged, but also channelled. Older generations within the team are likely to have the experience and perspective to understand all the costs and risks associated with the opportunities they want to pursue.
Don’t assume you know what motivates employees from different generations.
While there have been many studies into the different working styles and preferences of different generations, sometimes generational stereotypes can be just that, a stereotype. Don’t assume that people from certain generations will all want the same thing. Ask them what they want from their professional lives. What motivates them? How do they like to communicate? Remember it’s almost impossible to create a one size fits all recognition and reward programme. You need to understand what motivates people as individuals. Including some considered questions within an employee survey can be a good way to track and manage the varying needs within the organisation.
Promote open communication
The aim is to create a company where everyone’s contribution is recognised and celebrated, irrespective of age. To do this you will need to be clear with everyone in the organisation about what you are trying to achieve so that all the generations remain open minded enough to make this work. If you are clear on the intention, and the potential benefits, then more people are likely to get behind you.
Norwich Audi have just secured this stunning Audi Q4 45 Black Edition in Pebble Grey for the next three weeks from Audi UK.
With the Q4 able to charge from 10-80% in as little as 28 minutes you really wont be waiting long to get back on the road. And with the official test range of 316-342 miles, the Q4 covers everyday trips comfortably.
For more information or to arrange a test drive or further information please contact: –
A new apprentice has joined the team at Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) in Cambridge, just in time to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week [14 to 18 March].
The recruitment agency has welcomed nineteen-year-old Harry Lynch to the team as an IT apprentice, providing him with the chance to progress his career in the job he’s always wanted to do.
Harry, who lives in Arbury, said: “My first week has been everything I could have hoped for. Having finished three years studying at college I’m really keen to be able to put everything I’ve learnt into practice. My apprenticeship with Pure means I can start to gain essential work experience while still studying for higher level qualifications.”
Harry will be providing valuable IT support across all four of Pure’s offices in the region, from answering general help desk questions through to supporting the implementation of the new company website. At the same time he will continue to study with training provider QA Apprenticeships.
Pure, which was recently awarded the Gold Investors in People standard, has always been committed to creating a strong culture of learning and development. It has already supported five apprentices to develop their careers within different areas of the organisation.
Kristina Page is currently in her first year as an apprentice in Pure’s accountancy department, based at the Cambridge office. The 23-year-old is currently completing work-based learning to study for her Level 3 AAT exams. Having taken a break to go travelling after completing her level 2 AAT at college, she secured her role following a three-week temp job with the company. Knowing how keen she was to go on and complete her higher level qualifications, Pure offered her the role as an apprentice so she could learn at the same time.
Kristina lives in Bedfordshire and travels to the Histon office every day. She believes the commute is well worth it. She said: “I’ve learnt so much being able to gain real work experience as well as doing my exams. Pure has been so supportive throughout and everyone has really helped me with my studying. It’s been a fantastic opportunity. After I finish my last three exams this year I’m planning to go on and study for my Level 4 Advanced Diploma.”
Gill Buchanan, Director at Pure, added: “Our people are the core of our business and we’re committed to ensuring Pure is a rewarding and positive place to work. Providing career progression opportunities is just one of the many ways we aim to achieve this.
“Harry is our first IT apprentice and he will be a real asset to the team. Innovation is at the forefront of all our growth plans, increasing the amount of technology we use. We need to ensure we are building a team of knowledgeable experts in this field. Apprenticeships are an excellent way for us to do this and to also provide fantastic development opportunities for people in our local community.”
For more media information please contact Dawn Humphreys or Amy Larman at FOUR agency on 01603 627294 or email dawn@fouragency.co.uk or amy@fouragency.uk
Notes to editors:
About Pure Resourcing Solutions
Formed in 2002 from a single office in Cambridge, Pure Resourcing Solutions are now the professional recruitment specialists in the East of England; with offices in Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich and Chelmsford.
Pure specialises in Accountancy, Financial Services, IT, Human Resources, Marketing and Office Support recruitment solutions at all levels, including board level appointments through its specialist Executive division.
This Easter, families are invited to join the Chantry Code Breakers at Chantry Place Norwich –with The Great Eggscape from Easter Island – a free, fun-filled, interactive experience that promises thrills, creativity, and plenty of surprises.
Taking place on April 8th-9th and 15th-16th, The Great Eggscape challenges children to join the Chantry Code Breakers on a mission to save Easter. The naughty Easter chicks have stolen the Easter Bunny’s precious eggs and hidden them on the mysterious Easter Island. It’s up to the little adventurers to crack the code, get crafty, and help the Easter Bunny reclaim what’s rightfully his!
This free event will feature interactive crafting experiences where children can take part in solving secret codes and create their own air-dry clay characters inspired by the adventure. With sessions running every hour from 10am to 4pm, each child will be guided through a creative journey to help rescue the stolen eggs. Expect plenty of fun surprises along the way!
Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place, said: “We will be working with the Chantry Code Breakers to inspire little ones to get creative and help the Easter Bunny find his eggs, encouraging them to solve challenges and unleash their imagination. Whether crafting their own unique characters or engaging in hands-on activities, we can’t wait to see what they come up with. This interactive experience is the perfect way for children to have fun, learn, and enjoy a creative adventure at Chantry Place.”
Limited to 24 children per session, The Great Eggscape offers all participants a hands-on and personal experience. Don’t miss the chance to let your little ones explore, create, and enjoy this exciting Easter rescue mission. Plus, every child will take home a special memento to remember their adventure and continue the fun at home.
Artificial intelligence often gets framed as something mystical. Press a button, get a result, job done. Real life stays less exciting.
Walk into any commercial kitchen and you see the same basic truth. Every chef uses a knife. The café serving all day breakfasts uses one. The hotel kitchen uses one. A Michelin star restaurant uses one. The tool stays constant. The outcome does not.
The difference sits with skill.
A knife in untrained hands delivers food. A knife in expert hands delivers precision, consistency, and pace under pressure. Knife skills take time. Repetition matters. Experience shapes judgement. Two chefs, same knife, wildly different results.
AI follows the same pattern.
Many businesses now say they use AI. Fewer explain how long they have used it. Almost none explain how well they use it.
Prompting is not typing a sentence and hoping for the best. Structure matters. Context matters. Constraints matter. Testing matters. Iteration matters. Small changes produce large differences in output quality.
We have integrated AI into our photo booth experiences for over 18 months. Not as a novelty. Not as a last minute add-on. As a capability we actively develop.
Early results looked fine. Current results look deliberate. Faces stay recognisable. Groups render correctly. Lighting matches the scene. Outputs suit both adults and children. Prints look clean. Digital shares look intentional.
Those improvements did not arrive by accident. They came from repetition, refinement, and understanding where AI struggles. Knowing the limits proves as important as knowing the strengths.
Two companies often run the same software. One delivers inconsistent results. The other delivers reliable quality. The difference mirrors kitchens everywhere. Same knife. Different hands.
This shows up clearly for clients. The experience feels smoother. The results feel trustworthy. The technology fades into the background while the outcome takes centre stage.
AI does not replace experience. It rewards it.
Photography reached this point years ago. Anyone owns a camera. Not everyone produces professional images. Tools became accessible. Skill remained scarce.
The same shift now happens with AI.
The more useful question no longer asks whether a business uses AI. It asks how developed their skill is in using it. Tools move fast. Skill compounds slowly. The gap between the two defines quality.
Jen Little, Practice Recruitment Specialist at the Cambridge office of Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) is about to take on the gruelling challenge of walking for a week across the Sahara desert to raise money for the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (ARHC) in Cambridgeshire.
Having spent the last six months undergoing some intensive preparation training, Jen is one of eight people who have signed up for the extreme adventure in support of the charity which is the only adult hospice in Cambridgeshire. The other members of Team ARHC include the charity’s CEO Lynn Morgan, staff at the hospice and other local business people including Steve Mitcham, CEO of Cambridge Business Society.
Team ARHC will fly out to Morocco this week, ready to start the epic walk on Thursday 17th March. They will be trekking over 70km in weather conditions which will range from a scorching 40 degrees during the day to just 0 degrees when they are camping out at night.
The idea first came about last August during discussions on how to raise money for the new 24-bed facility at the hospice, which is dedicated to providing specialist palliative care and support to adult patients and their family, friends and carers. The new building is set to be an exemplar in hospice design and will offer patients a more spacious, attractive and therapeutic environment.
The charity is extremely close to Jen’s heart and she has been an ambassador for the hospice for eight years. She said: “It really is an amazing place and supports many people during what can be a very difficult period of their lives. The staff are incredible and very caring and the volunteers who give their time are true inspirations. When the fundraising idea of walking across the desert came up I thought why not! But having committed myself, I realised I needed to do some serious training preparation. I took part in an eight-week fitness boot camp, have since lost a stone in weight and I now feel like I live at the gym.”
The team, which includes a real mix of ages, has also been group training walks together, which has given them time to discuss other important preparations.
Jen said: “I’ve been testing out and considering so many different types of socks to find the ones which best protect against blisters. We’re not allowed to take much with us as our baggage will be carried by camels as we hike across the sand dunes. That makes the decisions on what we do decide to pack even more important.”
All the team at Pure are supporting Jen in her fundraising mission. The recruitment company is already a keen supporter of the hospice, and has raised more than £6k for the charity over the last few years. The directors have given Jen the time off for the challenge and kick started her fundraising with a £250 donation.
Jen added: “All my colleagues are being extremely supportive. They know I’m just as nervous as I am excited. This challenge will definitely take me out of my comfort zone. Although I’ve been to the desert before, I’ve never spent a week walking across it, or camped in it overnight. But I am doing this to raise money for the hospice and to boost the profile of the fantastic work it does. Even if I end up in a bit of discomfort as a result, it will all be worth it.”
Image: Jen Little from Pure Resourcing Solutions takes on a training walk in preparation for a week-long trek across the Sahara desert to raise money for the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.
Formed in 2002 from a single office in Cambridge, Pure Resourcing Solutions are now the professional recruitment specialists in the East of England; with offices in Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich and Chelmsford.
Pure specialises in Accountancy, Financial Services, IT, Human Resources, Marketing and Office Support recruitment solutions at all levels, including board level appointments through its specialist Executive division.
Ateam of 10 apprentices are on track for successful new careers after being selected to join train operator Abellio Greater Anglia.
The operator has launched a bespoke scheme for 18 to 24 year-old applicants not previously in employment, education or training which will see the new recruits work in various roles across the company’s customer service department while completing a Level 2 NVQ qualification.
Recruited through skills specialist Ingeus, the new starters will be based in Norwich where their exciting journey will introduce them to a range of roles over the next 12 months including working in the ticket office, on the platforms dispatching trains and as part of the train presentation team.
The 10 successful recruits were amongst more than 150 applicants for the apprenticeships. They will receive one-to-one training while working in the company’s customer service department at Norwich, earning a wage while gaining recognised qualifications and on-the-job skills.
Bryony Bridgewater, 19, from Gorleston in Norfolk was unemployed for two years before being recruited onto the apprenticeship, which is her first ever job.
Having moved from London, Bryony found it hard to get to know anyone in the local area, and even harder to find work with no experience to offer employers. With Ingeus’s support she successfully prepared and applied for the newly launched Abellio apprenticeship scheme and along with nine other talented recruits couldn’t be more excited about getting her career back on track.
“I am keen to learn and wanted a customer service role but got nowhere applying for apprenticeships on my own. Ingeus really helped, and even if I hadn’t got the job, I thought I’d come a really long way in building my confidence and employability skills,” Bryony said.
Fellow apprentice Reece Orford, 21, from Costessey, said: “I moved back to the UK from Canada in 2010 and have since worked as a business administrator. I wanted to join Abellio Greater Anglia because the apprenticeship offers so much scope for progression.”
Ingeus is a leading employability skills provider which provides fee-free recruitment and skills services to national and regional employers. It worked closely with Abellio Greater Anglia to develop the comprehensive recruitment and apprenticeship programme as Catherine Prosser, National Employer Services Team Manager at Ingeus explains:
“Ingeus advertised the opportunity, processed the applications and organised bespoke recruitment days on behalf of Abellio Greater Anglia. We have sourced some really talented young people who just needed the right opportunity to show their skills and motivation to work. We are now supporting the induction of the new recruits and will be assessing the apprentices’ progress throughout every step of the programme.”
Andrew Goodrum, Customer Service Director at Abellio Greater Anglia, said: “We are very pleased to welcome our new apprentices. This customised training course will offer a range of transferrable skills. The railway is a great place to work with a wealth of opportunities and fantastic benefits. We already operate a very successful engineering apprenticeship and this new scheme will help strengthen our customer service department.”
The apprentices’ appointment coincides with National Apprenticeship Week which runs from 14 to 18 March and celebrates apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.