At one time or another, we have all experienced an arduous journey to a distant airport. There is no need for you to drive far, nor ask for a lift to catch your long distance flight. Watch this video and discover why, whether for business or pleasure, KLM from Norwich Airport is the answer.
At East Norfolk Sixth Form College we are launching our Professional Mentoring Scheme. Would you like to become a Mentor for one of our Students interested in your profession? It takes only 3 meetings over 2 months…
The Professional Mentoring Scheme pairs professionals from a variety of backgrounds with students who are seeking to enhance their progression opportunities. The Scheme introduces students to their chosen profession, offering them wide and practical insights into their future careers; supporting and helping to enable them make informed and suitable choices.
Norwich International is pleased to announce the launch of a new Swiss ski programme from your local airport operated by OSKA Travel in the trade name of TOPSKISWISS.COM.
Flights will be operated by INTERSKY airlines with brand new 70 seat ATR aircraft which offers a real VIP style flight with catering included.
The first flight is scheduled for Saturday 17th January 2015 with six weekly departures running through to 21st February 2015 inclusive on direct charter to Berne Airport in Switzerland, the gateway to the Swiss Alps with their iconic mountains.
Accommodation is available in all price ranges from high class hostels to 5* hotels in Interlaken and Grindelwald, part of the Jungfrau ski region which boasts some of the most spectacular scenery of the Alps, with two lakes and an amazing alpine panorama. The region offers something for everyone from beginners to experienced skiers alike with over 214km of slopes and one of the world’s most famous downhill tracks, the Lauberhorn course. For non-Skiers the region boasts over 100km of winter footpaths enabling visitors to explore on foot.
Andreas F. Forsthuber, director of OSKA Travel, said “with these new offers we give our UK clientele the once in a lifetime chance to experience a VIP style ski holiday in Switzerland at affordable costs – and this with all comfort, even free transfer between airport and hotel included and, of course, fully ATOL protected.” OSKA Travel, with its new owner SYNERGY Communications AG and their Swiss based team boast extreme in-depth knowledge and unbeatable competence regarding the high-end ski destination Switzerland.
Andrew Bell, Chief Executive of Norwich International Airport, said, “Our objective is to provide an ever increasing range of top quality destinations and product to the holidaymakers in our region. The addition of ski holidays in Switzerland this winter is fantastic news for local holidaymakers and provides further choice from their local airport”
For more information on these fantastic new ski holidays from Norwich visit www.topskiswiss.com.
‘The Benefits of Partnering with a Specialist Outsource Contact Centre’ – is our new White Paper. Learn how outsourcing customer service responsibilities can Cut Your Costs, Improve Your Operation and Develop Your Company. Please visithttps://www.opencontact.co.uk/benefits-partnering-specialist-outsource-co… to find out more.
Due to the phenomenal growth of our business over the last 3 years we are now looking at new offices to accommodate our increase in staff.
Over the last 4 years we have gone from 3 members of staff to now employing over 12 and are actively looking for new sales people to drive the business forward.
Our existing office, pictured, is situated on the Thorpe Road, opposite The Rushcutters pub being in a prime location to the A47 and only 10mins from the station but is bursting at the seams and with the help of some potential LEP growth fund monies a move is on the cards.
We shall help over 9000 business customers this year to finance nearly £30m and with the banks still making it difficult for businesses to grow we have been pleased to help them!
Please see the attached details and if you need anything further please contact Mark Skipper who is the office manager here and he would be pleased to show you around.
Mark Skipper 01603 703180
East Anglian wealth managers Chadwicks have been delighted by the response to their latest round of CPD seminars for solicitors and accountants. ‘When we started running these sessions we struggled to get six or seven attendees but just 18 months later we’ve seen a remarkable turnaround. After just one email we’ve had more than fifty people registering for our latest September session’ said business development manager Emma Clayton-Knight. ‘We started with sessions here at our offices in Norwich but we now also run them in Ipswich and Cambridge, alongside in-house sessions for some of the larger solicitor practices in Norwich and Ipswich. They have built gradually and after the September seminars we will have had more than 200 people attend at least one of our sessions, with many coming to several’.
Chadwicks have secured accreditation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority as CPD providers, a step Emma felt was essential in encouraging fellow professionals to attend. ‘It helps that our advice team has a strong academic background and so we were able to demonstrate to the SRA that our sessions included the required level of learning.’
‘We have always worked on a referral basis but felt that post-RDR we had a good proposition and this was something we should be telling more people about. We started by looking at our marketing and felt we needed to position ourselves alongside other professionals. These seminars give us an ideal opportunity to do just that – we have around two hours with a small group of people who can discover the depth of our knowledge and get an understanding of our approach. And at the end they walk away with a CPD certificate and a free sandwich!’
‘It took a full twelve months before we saw anything tangible in return for our not inconsiderable investment of time and money. However, what began as a trickle has become a steady flow of introductions that now account for half our new business. We have also been asked to present to client breakfasts and lunches by some of the region’s leading practices.
Our timing was lucky. From November the SRA is changing its CPD policy, introducing more flexible requirements, so I doubt our approach would be as successful were we to start now. However, we have build strong relationships with a number of practices who see the value in what we deliver so we are confident they will continue to use us.’
Background
Currently solicitors must complete 16 hours CPD annually of which at least 25% must be met by attending accredited courses. Chadwicks currently run a series of four courses, which are based on the firm’s core knowledge areas:
• The Impact on Retirement Planning of the 2014 Budget Changes to Pensions
• Investment Theory
• Passing the Baton – Making a Success of Business Succession
• An introduction to Behavioural Economics
More information at www.chadwicks.co.uk
So you’ve spotted the perfect job vacancy. You can bet that other job seekers have also seen it – especially if they’re signed up to the same recruitment agency. Without further ado, you need to get down to writing a cover letter that’ll get you onto that all-important interview shortlist. The letter is the first opportunity you get to persuade the employer that you’re the right person for the job. But creating a letter that’s eye-catching and formal isn’t easy. As we all know there’s stiff competition for vacancies these days, but by reading these simple tips you’ll be able to craft a persuasive application:
1. Tailor the letter Don’t be tempted to copy and paste. The employer will spot a generic response from a mile off and will know immediately that you’re not putting in the required effort- as a result, your application may be left to one side in favour of more professionally written letters. Do your research and make it clear in the letter that you’re familiar with the company; explaining why you’d like to work there is a good way of demonstrating that you’ve done your homework.
2. Back up your experience When writing a winning letter, it’s important to appeal to the reader, or in this case, the recruiter. They want to be convinced you can do the job so when explaining why your experience is relevant, include examples from your other roles as evidence. If you’re applying for an office support job in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich or Norwich, refer to past achievements that demonstrate the duties listed in the job description.
3. Point out the benefits It’s important to highlight the benefits that your experience will bring to the company. When you outline your skills, explain the value they’ll bring to the firm. For example, when writing about your excellent management skills, point out that this means your projects will run on time and to budget, which enhances the company’s reputation among its customers.
4. Be passionate Although the letter is a professional document there’s no harm in being passionate. After all, wouldn’t you prefer to interview someone who seems excited about the job? But don’t overdo it. Exclamation marks in emails to friends are fine but in this context they can seem rather desperate. Obviously, this isn’t the feeling you want to communicate, so play it safe and stick to a more low-key enthusiasm.
5. Signing off When closing the letter include a line that reflects your interest. A simple sentence such as “Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and I hope to have the opportunity to work for you” will let the employer know that you’re polite, professional and keen.
6. Read…and read again If you submit a cover letter that’s peppered with errors it won’t be taken seriously. Because an employer wants to see that you’ve put time into the application, make sure you’ve checked it a few times before sending it. Another pair of eyes can give you a fresh perspective, so ask someone else to read the letter. An additional trick is reading it out loud to yourself – it’s surprising what little mistakes you might pick up on.
A corker of a cover letter could take a little time but it might just be worth it when you’re popping open the champagne at news of a job offer. So, it’s time to focus….happy writing!
NORWICH, Tuesday 26th August 2014 – AIRPORT REACHES NEW HEIGHTS IN WHICH? UK AIRPORT PASSENGER SURVEY The annual Which? Member survey of UK airports has just been released and finds that small airports are, on average providing a better experience than larger airports.
The survey rates airports on areas that matter the most to customers, including seating provision, distance to the boarding gates, and queues at security, passport control and baggage reclaim. Norwich International Airport managed to achieve a full five-star rating in five of the ten categories with an overall customer score of 72%.
The survey results show Norwich International is now rated ninth in the small airport category, which is an increase of one place from 2013.
Richard Pace, the airport’s Operations Director commented, “We are delighted with Norwich Airport’s performance in this year’s survey. The airport team is committed to making the airport experience an easier, speedier and less stressful one for all of our passengers and these results are testament to the hard work the airport has undertaken over the past few years to improve facilities at the airport.”
END
Notes to editors Which? Conducted the survey in June 2014 and asked their members to complete an online survey about their experiences of flying from and to an airport in the UK. Results are based on experiences from 7,011 members. Large airports have four million or more terminal passengers every year. Small airports have fewer than four million passengers.
SSCS visited Mexico for a week in July to attend meetings with the Port Authority and related bodies as well as with PEMEX, the single offshore oil and gas Major in the region.
SSCS recently appointed Canega Offshore Services as their Mexican based agent and used this trip as an opportunity to provide information and product training to their management team.
Following the positive outcome of the meetings SSCS and Canega are in discussions with PEMEX and other key bodies about utilising the SSCS Frond Mats for scour control around offshore assets, as well as for near shore and inshore erosion control requirements.
Such projects would add to the manufacture and supply of the SSCS Frond Mats to overseas clients from our Norfolk base.
SSCS have recently returned from a week long trip to China to spend time with our partner, Shandong Henovo Group, and meet with clients to provide technical presentations and discuss current matters.
During our week in China we met with representatives from all 3 of the Oil & Gas majors – CNOOC, CNPC and SINOPEC – to discuss past and present projects on which SSCS are involved in supplying our Frond Mats for requirements including pipeline freespan remediation works.
The week was very successful with positive outcomes from all meetings including details on future requirements for our Frond Mats, all to be manufactured in Norfolk and exported to China in the coming months / years.
As well as attending technical meetings with clients, SSCS also provided product and installation training to our partners current diving supervisors and a number of their dive team.
When SSCS began working with Henovo in 2006 Henovo did not have their own divers, however following the success of the SSCS Frond Mats in the region and the related work attained by Henovo they have been able to expand significantly and now have over 50 inhouse divers split into 3 dive teams who regularly undertake work using the SSCS Frond Mats.
Following the visit we are certain China will remain one of SSCS’s key export destinations and we will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure successful utilisation of our Mats thoughout the region.
Norwich based web designers, Bigfork, have launched the new website for Oilennium (part of the Petrofac group). Oilennium specialises in e-learning courses for the oil and gas industry and appointed Bigfork to improve their website. The new website needed to showcase their wide range of courses and position them as the oil and gas experts in e-learning.
The new site has a clean, modern look with easy navigation and is designed for mobile devices. The site is powered by a SilverStripe content management system so that Oilennium can update the site inhouse.
“We chose Bigfork to assist in the design and implementation of our new website as they clearly understood our requirements and had the right experience. We are very impressed with the results and would have no hesitation in recommending Bigfork.” Marketing Manager, Oilennium
You can see the new website here.
Bigfork – we make websites stand out t:01603 513080www.bigfork.co.uk
Wymondham based social business Swarm Apprenticeships has appointed Chris Perry as new Managing Director after 18 months on the non-executive Board.
Chris brings with him a wealth of business and training industry experience from his previous roles as Business Manager at the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and over ten years working in the apprenticeships industry with national training provider, First 4 Skills.
Chris Perry comments “I am really pleased to be able to step into the role, to work alongside Robert in leading the Swarm team achieve our vision of growing the number of young and talented Enterprise apprentices across the region who will deliver real added value to their employers. Swarm is currently embarking on a new phase of growth and there are a lot of exciting things happening that give our young apprentices the extra support and tools needed to become even more effective in delivering a return on investment for their employers”.
“We find ourselves in the right place at the right time,” added Robert Ashton, Swarm’s founder, “which means growing interest in our philosophy of putting the employer first and making sure they get a measurable return on their investment in every apprentice.”
Chris Reeve, currently on Swarm’s apprenticeship scheme working for Robert Ashton, said this on Chris Perry’s appointment: “I have already learnt a lot of useful tips from Chris and look forward to working alongside him on the way to becoming UK’s No 1 choice in providing Business & Enterprise Apprenticeships.”
Swarm is currently recruiting businesses and potential apprentices from across Norfolk and launches in Suffolk next month. The company was shortlisted recently by social investor Big Issue Invest to take part in their ‘corporate social venturing’ program. This can provide both the investment and support needed to take Swarm national in 2015.