Chamber News

Andrew Thomson, Chair Elect of East Coast College Governors, Rob Evans, Chair Great Yarmouth College and Tina Ellis, Chair Lowestoft College are asking for feedback on the proposed merger between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Colleges. They have jointly issued the below open letter: Dear Stakeholders We are excited to announce that the proposed merger of Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Colleges is progressing well. Following the public consultation conducted in January and February 2016 the Corporation’s Governing Body were able to decide to proceed with the legal steps required to dissolve. We are now delighted to announce that the Corporation of Great Yarmouth College of Suffolk Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0ED is conducting its statutory consultation in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, on the proposal to dissolve the College as a legal entity and to merge together with Lowestoft College. Thereby forming a new, two campus institution that will operate under the name ‘East Coast College’ (subject to consultation and Department of Education consent to the proposed name change). Please see the attached consultation document. Why is the dissolution proposed? Between January and July 2015 Great Yarmouth College and Lowestoft College and (along with three other colleges) were voluntary participants in a pioneering Area Review, the first of its kind in England.

Led by the Further Education Commissioner, Dr David Collins and Peter Mucklow, the Sixth Form College Commissioner, and involving representatives of national funding agencies and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, this initiative made a comprehensive review of post 16 provision in North and East Norfolk, and North Suffolk.

One of the review’s expert conclusions was that, ‘a soft collaboration will not deliver the level of change and savings needed and that full partnership (either hard federation or merger) between the colleges is the only route to achieving the critical mass of students and economies of scale required to make costs savings and to build and sustain excellent provision so as to ensure improvement of the offer to students and employers on employability and skills’. The Corporations believes that there are some, key benefits which will result from the merger as follows:

• together, combining the complementary strengths of the two organisations, we can offer a wider, richer range of academic, technical and professional opportunities to 16-18 school leavers, adults, higher education students and the business community;
• the merged colleges will be able to enhance the training, bespoke courses and apprenticeships offered to employers, and build a stronger partnership with industry;
• the merged colleges can create an organisation with a combined annual turnover of around £25 million, which will enable further investment in learner resources and facilities, and ensure the continuity of good local provision; and
• the merged colleges will be able to develop an organisation with a greater capacity to engage regionally, nationally and internationally with partners, bringing greater benefits to all the colleges’ students and local communities

Date of the proposed dissolution The planned dissolution date is 31st March 2017. (Subject to consultation and legal requirements.) Name Change On that same day it is planned that the two colleges will merge and that the name of the college will change to ‘East Coast College’ (subject to consultation and Department of Education consent to the proposed name change). New Board We will also be establishing a new East Coast College Corporation and will be looking for new Governors to join us. If you wish to receive further information on this please contact Wendy Stanger, details below. Further Details Please see https://www.lowestoft.ac.uk/east-coast-college Providing your views We are appealing to you personally, as a key stakeholder, to submit your views on the proposed dissolution and name change proposals by 9th January 2017. Please submit your feedback in writing to ‘Public Consultation, Attn. Wendy Stanger Head of Governance, Great Yarmouth College Suffolk Road Great Yarmouth Norfolk NR31 0ED’ via email to eccconsultation@gyc.ac.uk Or via our brief survey at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8QGKK2B What happens next? Great Yarmouth College Corporation is legally required to take account of views and representations made under this consultation. The Corporation Governing Body will consider all responses before they make any final decision to dissolve and merge. A summary of the consultation and outcomes will be published by the Corporation by 9th February 2017. Yours sincerely Andrew Thomson CHAIR ELECT OF EAST COAST COLLEGE GOVERNORS Rob Evans Chair Great Yarmouth College Tina Ellis Chair Lowestoft College

On Thursday 8 December over 90 members joined us at Sprowston Manor for a morning of festive networking. Our featured charity for the breakfast was East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice (EACH). As delegates arrived early to get start they placed donated gifts for the charity under the Christmas tree.

The morning kicked off with a welcome from Colin Lang and Sophie Mayes from EACH. They then introduced our first networking ice breaker: The A-Z of Christmas. Delegates named a Christmas word for each letter of the alphabet, with many using ‘zzzzzz’ for the letter Z.

Breakfast was served and followed by the second ice breaker for the morning which brought out the creative side to our members. Each person was given a Christmas song to draw whilst others on their table attempted to guess what the song was. A gallery of those we collected can be seen in the images – including the best drawing from the morning (although we don’t know which song it is!).

After a safari move mixed delegates around, the last activity of a Christmas movie quiz took place. The questions were tough this year, with the highest score being 7/12. To finish the morning, EACH ran a raffle for two luxury hampers and Jay Warnes, NPS Property Consultants Ltd was crowned with the best Christmas jumper.

The morning was filled with laughter and a great festive spirit. Given the popularity of this event, we are looking to hold one in Norwich, one in Great Yarmouth and one in West Norfolk for 2017.

Merry Christmas!

Key trade-related measures announced by the Chancellor in last week’s Autumn Statement have been highlighted by the Department for International Trade (DIT).

In particular, it points out that additional financial support for UK exporters will be available through the UK’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF).

The new measures will see what the DIT describes as UKEF’s “total risk appetite” double to £5 billion and the maximum cover limit for individual markets increase by up to 100%. The move will, potentially, provide up to £2.5 billion of additional capacity to support exports to some destinations.

The number of pre-approved local currencies in which UKEF can offer support is also being significantly increased, rising from 10 to 40. More overseas buyers of UK exports will therefore be able to pay in their own currency.

Overall, the increased support for UKEF should ensure that no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance from the private sector, the DIT claims.

In a further significant move, the Department will receive £79.4 million to develop and deliver an independent international trade policy. The money will be used to support a smooth exit from the EU and – the DIT explains – will help to negotiate the best possible global trading arrangements for the UK.

Additional resources will also be allocated to strengthen trade policy capability within DIT in co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Annual funding of £26 million by 2019/20 was allocated to this initiative in the Autumn Statement.

Commenting on the measures, International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said that they will help ensure that the Government is able to support more UK exporters, attract more overseas buyers and strengthen the UK’s capability to develop and deliver an international trade policy.

A survey by the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) has shown that British companies are confident about trade with China in the aftermath of the UK leaving the EU.

Over half (56%) of the 266 respondents said that Brexit would create either “many more” or “more” business opportunities with China generally, while 44% stated that a free trade agreement (FTA) between the UK and China would generate more opportunities for their own companies.

A significant majority (88%) of respondents think that it is either “very important” or “important” to achieve an FTA, and almost three-quarters (73%) believe it is possible to do so in under five years.

Ensuring a simpler approach to dispute resolution, simplified UK and Chinese visa rules and the strengthening of intellectual property rights should be among the main aims of negotiations on such an agreement, respondents suggested.

Removing tariffs, standardising and digitising trade documents, and reinforcing protection for foreign investors in joint ventures (JVs) were also seen as key issues.

Reduced tariffs were seen as being positive for their particular sectors by an overwhelming majority (95%) of those surveyed.

Based on the survey results, the CBBC has made a number of recommendations to further support UK-China trade and investment in the coming years. They include establishing a China-specific taskforce within the UK Government to assess the parameters of an FTA.

The taskforce should, it said, include key members of the UK business community with expertise on UK-China trade and investment.

Other industry taskforces should also be created, comprising leading UK companies who can make recommendations in their specific sectors. The CBBC wants to see working groups set up with relevant Chinese stakeholders from both government and business.

Further details of the CBBC survey can be found atwww.cbbc.org.

Award-winning languages business PAB Languages Centre has joined the Chamber, having recently opened a second UK office in Colchester.

The firm’s new High Street office in Colchester will offer expert linguists translation, interpreting and localisation services in over 200 languages.

Denise Taylor, PAB’s newly appointed Business Development Manager in Colchester, is very familiar with the business landscape and opportunities of the south east of England having held similar roles for companies such as Staples, Securitas and more recently Banner, part of the EVO Group

Founder and Managing Director of PAB Languages Centre Iwona Lebiedowicz said it’s an exciting development for the firm.

“As part of our ambitious growth strategy we wanted to open an office in the south east of England to expand our reach and better support our existing clients in the region, and Colchester seemed like the ideal location,” explained Iwona.

“We aim to be supplier of choice for businesses requiring professional linguists to help them overcome language barriers they encounter within the UK or overseas.

“We offer written translations – both standard and certified – including multilingual projects such as business-focused website translations. We also currently offer language and cultural awareness courses for individuals or organisations dealing with countries other than their own.”

The Department for International Trade in Jordan is looking to support British companies working in:

• garments and textiles
• chemical (paints, fertilisers etc)
• manufacturing/engineering/electrical

As well as other sectors – please see here.Companies working in these sectors can benefit from relaxed rules of origin in Jordan, as well as low-cost setup opportunities.

In July 2016 the EU and Jordan agreed to simplify the rules of origin that Jordanian exporters use in their trade with the EU under the Association Agreement. This is intended to make it easier for Jordan to export to the EU, encourage investment and create jobs for Jordanians and Syrian refugees.

For exporters to be able to use these alternative rules of origin, production must:

• take place in one of 18 designated industrial areas and development zones in Jordan
• use a minimum proportion of Syrian refugee labour in the production facilities (initially 15% and increasing to 25% in year three)

If you are intersted in this opportunity and would like more details,please contact Jan Wimaladharma at DIT in Amman.

The B1149 Holt Road will be closed from 7pm on Monday 5 December, reopening no later than 6am on Tuesday 6 December, to allow Anglian Water to complete a water main diversion at the site of the new Drayton Lane roundabout.

Access in and out of Horsford at the southern end of the village will be via Church Street and the A140 Cromer Road.

• The overnight closure will allow Anglian Water to complete a water main diversion that was suspended on 18 November when excavations found the pipe to be too far under the road for the work to continue under temporary traffic lights.
• On Buxton Road full-time temporary traffic lights are likely to stay in place for the next two weeks to allow the diversion of a gas main.
• Temporary lights or stop/go boards are likely to be used as needed on a number of other roads crossing the NDR.
• Three roundabouts towards the western end are nearing completion. Once work has finished the speed limits on the A1067 Fakenham Road, Fir Covert Road and Reepham Road will be reviewed.

As President-elect Donald Trump announces that he plans to take the USA out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement as soon as he takes office, the EU is moving in the opposite direction – looking to widen its arrangements with trade partners.

It already has what is known as a Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement with Tunisia, that has been in force since 1998, but now it is considering replacing this with a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).

Before going any further down this road, however, the European Commission has invited traders and other businesses to submit comments on its plans.

Through aquestionnaire, it invites detailed views on the trade, investment and broader economic relationship between the EU and Tunisia.

“We are also specifically interested in practical experience in doing business with and in Tunisia,” the Commission explained, “so some questions are more technical.”

The existing Association Agreement already includes a Free Trade Area dismantling custom duties for industrial products and partially liberalising trade in agricultural and fisheries products.

The purpose of the DCFTA is to increase market access opportunities for both sides and to improve the business environment in Tunisia by supporting its economic reforms. Besides further liberalisation of trade in agricultural and fisheries products, it also aims to liberalise trade in services and investment.

The deadline for submitting comments is 22 February 2017.

The fieldwork for the International Trade Survey 2016 begins today (Monday 28 November 2016) and will run until Thursday 8 December 2016.

The survey will be managed by the British Chambers of Commerce through the new survey platform. You may be contacted to take part in this annual survey.

If you have not been contacted but want to take part in the survey you can complete it here.

Helping local businesses trade globally is a key mission for every accredited UK Chamber of Commerce – alongside their role in providing a voice for their local business community.

This survey is designed to understand Chamber members’ current priorities and concerns around international trade. It also seeks to assess what changes, if any, Chamber member businesses are making as a result of the June referendum vote to leave the European Union.

The results of the survey will be used to ensure that Chamber members’ concerns and priorities have a direct influence on emerging government policy. In order to ensure your business’s views have maximum impact, the British Chambers of Commerce has consulted with the Department for International Trade, HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in the preparation of this survey.

The survey should take around 7 minutes to complete. We will represent Chamber members’ diverse interests based on the results. This survey closes at midnight on 8 December.

Thank you in advance for your support.

The aim of Norfolk Chamber’s event, Tomorrow’s Talent was to inspire companies to shake up their recruitment strategies in order to attract their future workforce. With the aid of seven speakers and some thought provoking Q&A panels, the group addressed skills shortages; how to attract and retain young talent; and the best methods of reaching the ‘Millennial generation’. The breakfast event was held at the Mercure Hotel and was sponsored by Norse.

Hosted by Keiran Miles, serial entrepreneur and CEO of KakeCo, he highlighted how the Millennials were social minded, different thinkers, who instantly want to know how and what they can achieve.

Gill Banham from People Puzzle urged businesses to have a strong digital presence, as 62% of young people will visit the company’s website to find out about them. Eleanor Schader from Reed highlighted that ‘Millennials’ were looking for a strong company ethos, with training and a mentor, as well as clear progression paths. Both agreed that face to face communication was vital, but how the initial messages were delivered needed to be different.

Carlos Ramos, from EPOS Now, one of the fastest growing companies in our region, clearly demonstrated how companies need to be progressive and ‘sell themselves’ to the next generation workforce. He outlined how young people today want to be able to submit their job applications via social media channels and how rapidly advancing technology has levelled the playing field, allowing practically any business to compete against larger organisations.

Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said: Our aim is to bridge the gap between business and young people. To fill the skills gap, Norfolk businesses have to be able to attract, communicate and ultimately recruit and retain young people and they need to understand the best methods to do this. As part of this communication, we would encourage businesses to get involved with Young Chamber to help us engage with schools and develop young people’s employability skills and identify their possible future workforce.”

Over twenty businesses specialising in engineering and construction went back to school for the day to give valuable careers advice to students at University Technical College Norfolk (UTCN).

The careers event at UTCN which took place on Tuesday 22 November, saw local businesses engage with over 300 students aged 14 -18, via an interactive exhibition and educational workshops.

Students were given the unique opportunity to learn more about a career in engineering and construction as they heard direct from the people working in these industries.

The specialist exhibition encouraged a high level of engagement from the students as they explored a range of interactive activities and displays. LSI showcased their initial designs of the UTCN building, Easton & Otley College provided a tractor simulator alongside a John Deer brought by Ben Burgess and students participated in a game of giant jenga with NPS Group and built lego houses with Anglian Water.

Feedback from exhibitors was extremely positive;

‘Well organised, good regular groups of students attending’ Liz Davis Smith, Opito UK ‘Very good atmosphere, the kids were great and asked lots of questions!’ Lucy Furniss & Chris Lappin, LSI Architects ‘Very enjoyable – high level of interest’ Sue Sewell, NPS Group ‘Very well organised and lots of interest made it worthwhile’ Danielle Cox, KLM Engineering

Alex Hayes, Principal of the University Technical College Norfolk said: “Today was a fantastic opportunity for 300 of our students to meet with local and national employers. Finding your future career is a far from straight forward task these days, so events like this are crucial for young people.”

Norfolk Chamber are working with local schools to help deliver careers events that motivate, inspire and educate students about the careers options and jobs available in different sectors.

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive at Norfolk Chamber said: “These careers events are a great opportunity for businesses to work with schools across the region to help address the gap between business and education. Many businesses feel students don’t have the right skills, this is their chance to make a change by taking part in these vital careers event.”

If you’re a business looking to develop the future workforce, volunteer your time or interested in finding out more please contact Philippa Bindley, Events Manager on 01603 729703 or email philippa.bindley@norfolkchamber.co.uk

Businesses who supported the event included;

• Apprenticeships Norfolk Network
• Army
• Balfour Beatty
• Ben Burgess
• British Sugar
• City College Norwich Apprenticeship Team
• Construction Training
• Cranswick Country Foods (Watton)
• Easton & Otley College
• EEEGR (East of England Energy Group)
• Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
• Folliard Hydraulics ltd
• Hi-Span Ltd
• KLM UK Engineering Ltd
• LSI Architects
• Morgan Sindall
• NPS Group
• RAF Honington
• SeaJacks
• Thurne-Middleby Ltd
• OPITO
• The National Grid

Attracting upcoming talent is essential for the growth of any business. Norfolk Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming event, Tomorrow’s Talent, looks why it is critical for businesses to begin employing young and talented workers and how to attract the top talent to your business.

In order to secure future growth, businesses need to ensure they remain relevant and attractive to their customers. Younger people have unique skills, new ideas and bags of enthusiasm, so businesses need to begin to harness this energy and make it their competitive edge!

Tomorrow’s Talent taking place this Friday 25th November 7:30 – 10am, Mercure Hotel, Norwich is an interactive breakfast event which looks at how businesses can attract young talented employees and retain them by creating an environment and culture for young people to thrive within the business.

Featuring eight quality speakers from a variety of backgrounds, Tomorrow’s Talent will equip businesses with the knowledge and facilities to start hiring top talent immediately, learn to develop the workplace to attract and retain them. Hear from Kieran Miles CEO at KakeCo, Gill Banham HR Director at People Puzzles, Eleanor Schader Recruitment manager at Reed and many more.

Commenting on the event, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said “Many Chamber members advise that accessing a skilled workforce is one of their key challenges. One way to combat this, is to ‘grow your own’. Not only does this create a bespoke workforce, but you can harness the enthusiasm and talent of the millennial generation. The future of business is in the hands of tomorrow’s workforce, so this event will assist you to access and recruit the top talent needed to stay ahead of your competitors”

The event is open for all businesses to attend.