Chamber News

North Norfolk District Council will hold a free T Level seminar ahead of the introduction of the new technical qualifications.

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) is organising a free information event specifically for local businesses to introduce them to the new T Level technical qualification. There will also be information about the latest developments in apprenticeships, including funding. The event is intended to help local businesses learn how they can benefit from industry placements and the range of support available to help recruit, train and upskill their workforce. It will host key speakers from local training providers, including Laura McLean, the T Level Coordinator at Norwich City College and Alison Ward, the newly appointed New Anglia LEP Apprenticeship Levy Coordinator. There will be time for networking with local training providers including UTCN, the College of West Anglia, Nova Training and Poultec, with the opportunity to meet an advisor from the New Anglia Growth Hub to learn about funding to develop business. T Levels are a new qualification designed to progress from GCSEs and will be equivalent to 3 A levels. The two-year courses have been developed with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work. Students will be involved in a mixture of classroom learning and over 300 hours of ‘on-the-job’ experience in order to acquire the skills necessary for them to enter their chosen field of industry.

The first T Level courses will begin in September 2020, and are available in the following fields:

• digital production, design and development
• design, surveying and planning
• education

Cllr. Richard Kershaw, Portfolio holder for Economic Development and Employment said: “The new T level qualification is designed to provide technical educational training relevant to the needs of business and industry. I believe this gives students a very sound platform to approach the world of work and will benefit businesses and students alike. I urge businesses to attend to find out more.”

ׇThe ‘Qualifications A to T’ workshop is on April 1 2020 between 4pm and 6pm. You can register or ask for more information by contacting economic.growth@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Did you know children’s careers ambitions are already limited by the age of seven?! The BBC covered a recent report from the OECD, where the company’s director, Andreas Schleicher, said how “talent is being wasted” because of ingrained stereotyping about social background, gender and race.

The Norwich Opportunity Area has launched a new campaign called #fromNorwich, designed to help inform aspirations about what’s possible!

There is a significant bank of research about the importance of having conversations about different sorts of jobs from an early age. Children form stereotypes about certain careers and job roles in primary school based on the world around them and who they know.

The NOA are calling on Norfolk businesses to make sure their future workforce are excited and inspired by the various jobs available in our area throughout their education journey – get involved in the #fromNorwich campaign by adding your own clips to the project!

Adults – record yourself saying: “When I was younger I wanted to be a … Now I am a …”

Children – record yourself saying: “When I grow up I want to be a…”

Or why not do it together?

Simply upload your clip to Instagram or Twitter and tag @fromNorwich to share your story!

The Norwich Opportunity Area are looking for employers who would be willing to take part in sessions anytime during the week commencing Monday 22 June 2020.

Aimed at busting stereotypes, facing business challenges and linking the curriculum to real life skills, this week is a brilliant opportunity for businesses to volunteer their time and help inspire and drive ambition within our future workforce.

The week’s careers activites will be held across multiple Norwich primary schools for their Year 5 students to explore the different sorts of jobs through hands on activities that explore what’s out there.

So get involved and register your interest today by emailing us at hello@norfolkchambers.co.uk

Commenting on the High Court’s judgement on the judicial review of the Airports National Policy Statement, BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall said:

“Business communities across the UK will be bitterly disappointed that plans for a world-leading hub airport are now at risk.

“Without expansion, firms risk losing crucial regional connectivity and access to key markets across the world.

“The benefits of a third runway would extend far beyond south-east England. Hundreds of UK companies are already invested in the supply chain for expansion, and tens of thousands of additional jobs will be created if the project goes ahead.

“Heathrow and the wider aviation sector have set ambitious emissions targets, and like every industry, must continue to become greener. Britain’s future depends on investment in a modern, integrated, low-carbon transport infrastructure that keeps trade flowing while minimising environmental impacts.

“There has never been a more important time to demonstrate that Britain is open for business. The government must back Heathrow expansion unequivocally and take all necessary steps to finally move the project forward.”

Highways England are consulting the public and business on the A47 North Tuddenham to Easton dualling scheme. 

Highways England have continued to develop the detailed designs and there will be six public consultation events held for local communities and interested parties to once again share their views.

The dates of these six events, along with their locations, are as follows:

Thursday 27 February, 1pm – 8pm at North Tuddenham Village Hall, Fox Lane, North Tuddenham, NR20 3DH

Friday 28 February, 1pm – 8pm at Hockering Village Hall, 3 Heath Road, NR20 3HT

Monday 2 March, 1pm – 8pm at East Tuddenham Village Hall, Mattishall Road, East Tuddenham, NR20 3LR

Tuesday 3 March, 1pm – 8pm at Honingham Village Hall, 31 Dereham Road, Honingham, NR9 5AP

Wednesday 4 March, 1pm – 8pm at Easton Village Hall, Marlingford Road, Easton, NR9 5AD

Saturday 7 March, 10am – 4pm at Assembly House, Theatre Street, Norwich, NR2 1RQ

So be sure to have your say and have an impact on the final result of the statutory consultation for the A47 North Tuddenham to Easton scheme.

If you have any questions or need further information about these events, or just would like to contact Highways England directly with your thoughts and suggestions, you can call their Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000 or email their project team at A47NorthTuddenhamtoEastonRIS@highwaysengland.co.uk

On Wednesday 25 March, the Norwich Opportunity Area and its partners will deliver a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style careers event, where 100 specially chosen Year 12 students in Norwich will be tackling a ‘real-life’ business problem.

But to ensure that this is a huge success we need support from the local business community in two key areas:

1. We would like a local business to help set the actual challenge!  This can be based on a past issue, or one they are facing now.  Ideally it will be linked to something topical, such as the environment, human rights or something which is relevant to one of the region’s key industries and our young people. The business that sets the task will have the collective brain power of 100 specifically selected students to create a solution.  The business would also be welcome to be one of the dragons on the day and could possibly allow the winning team to visit their business.
2. We are also looking for a number of business volunteers to mentor a student team.  They will observe the students, provide individual feedback, and help judge their final presentations and performance.

The event is part of the Norwich Opportunity Area’s drive to increase employer engagement and raise the career aspirations of our young people.

If your business has a suitable business challenge, or you can provide the event with a mentor(s) to work with the students, please can you contact hello@norfolkchambers.co.uk

Norfolk’s leading business to business exhibition is back for 2020 and promises to be even bigger and better. With over 900 visitors attending in 2019 The B2B Exhibition is the perfect way to promote your business, get in touch with new potential customers, and build brand awareness.

Stand bookings are now open with our Early Bird Discount available until Friday 29 May so take advantage and book now! We have created a range of packages to suit every budget and fit your needs:

• Pop-Up Space from £299+VAT
• Pop-Up Space with Electricity from £325+VAT
• Exhibition Stand from £449+VAT
• Exhibition Booth from £499+VAT

Special discounts are available to Chamber Members and charities, click here to book your stand. Every package comes with an extensive range of benefits and tools to maximise your exposure before, during, and after the event.

A highlight of the Norfolk business calendar The B2B Exhibition is now in its 22nd year. In 2019 100% of exhibitors surveyed agreed B2B helped them meet and network with local businesses, 97% agreed it helped them raise their profile, and 95% agreed it’s worth attending.

Looking for extra exposure? There are a number of sponsorship opportunities available. Built to give you maximum impact, you can snap them up from as little as £1000+VAT. Each package includes a number of enhanced benefits exclusive to sponsors to encourage visitor engagement in the run up to, on the day of, and after the big day.

We listened to your feedback, went away to think long and hard and created a range of new offerings for 2020:

• A networking breakfast the morning of the event so you can start making connections from the moment you arrive
• Budget-friendly Pop-Up Stands
• Even more sponsorship opportunities to help you gain extra exposure
• New and improved booking software so you can get the perfect spot

The B2B Exhibition 2020 returns to Norfolk Showground on Thursday 15th October 10am to 4pm. To keep up to date with all things B2B follow our dedicated Twitter: @NorfolkB2B and keep an eye on our weekly newsletter.

For more information get in touch with Philippa Bindley, Head of Customer Experience on 01603 729703 or philippa.bindley@norfolkchambers.co.uk

The Energy Saving Trust has announced the Department for Transport has made £2 million funding available for the acquisition of ecargo bikes, to support green last mile deliveries. This funding is available to limited companies, sole traders, partnerships, charities and not-for-profit organisations operating in England. Public, community or third sector organisations are also eligible providing they meet the eligibility criteria.

The eCargo bike fund, which local businesses can use to pay for up to 100% of the cost of purchasing Ecargo bikes, is going to be awarded through Local Authorities and the Norfolk County Council are pleased to announce that they are proposing to put in an application with local businesses in late March.

Ecargo bikes allow businesses to benefit from:

• Better and often quicker access around the city being able to use bus lanes, cycle paths and Pedestrian and Cycle Zones such as Gentlemen’s Walk at all times
• Reduced fuel costs
• Zero emission transport, showcasing a modern and clean presence in the city and creating a healthier workforce
• Needing less kerb space to make deliveries and collections

The Ecargo bikes that are eligible:

• Can have any number of wheels
• Must meet the Electrically Assisted Pedal cycles (EAPCs) criteria
• Have at least 125 litre cargo volume
• Have at least 130kg minimum weight capacity (weight of rider plus luggage)

The Norfolk County Council have opened a survey to gather expressions of interest from local businesses to see how this fund can be utilised. This might take the form of

• Try before you buy scheme
• Leasing scheme
• Shared pool
• Ownership

Register your interest by completing this brief survey.

The survey will be open from 17 to 28 February 2020 with responses collated and replied to in early March. Norfolk County Council will submit the grant application in time for 27 March.

More details of the fund can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.

Commenting on the government’s policy proposals for a points-based immigration system, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy for Norfolk Chambers of Commerce said:

 “The speed and scale of these changes will require significant adjustment by businesses.

 “Companies are already investing heavily in home-grown talent across the county, but critical labour shortages mean firms will still need access to overseas workers at all skill levels. 

 “The new points system must be able to respond quickly to changing market needs, and the application process must be radically simplified.”

Commenting on the ONS labour market figures for February 2020, published today, BCC Head of Economics Suren Thiru said: “The jobs market remains remarkably robust, with employment levels rising despite the UK economy stalling at the end of last year. “However, the strong headline figures mask underlying problems. Lingering economic uncertainty can mean companies hire staff to fill orders rather than investing for the long-term, weakening productivity. “Slowing wage growth is a concern as it could trigger a broader slowdown in household spending, a major driver of UK economic growth. A weak economy, low productivity and high employment costs are limiting increases in pay settlements. “The forthcoming Budget must take steps to close the skills gap, with more funding for vocational and technical education and improved flexibility for the Apprenticeship Levy to better meet business needs.”

The Quarterly Economic Survey is the largest independent business survey in the UK. The results are used by the Government and the Bank of England to plan the future of the UK economy. You can have your say by completing the QES online NOW.  It takes less than 3 minutes.  The completion deadline for this survey is midnight on Monday 09 March 2020.  The Q1 results will be released at the beginning of April.

The results from the previous quarter revealed that the UK ended 2019 in stagnation, amid long-term uncertainty, rising business costs and a slowing global economy. The survey found protracted weakness across most indicators of economic health in the final quarter of 2019.

• Norfolk’s service sector indicators worsen and remain well below their historic average
• Norfolk indicators for manufacturing cashflow, home orders, and investment continue to worsen and are firmly in negative territory

The service sector, which accounts for almost 80% of UK economic output, saw a large majority of its key indicators worsen compared to Q3 2019. These indicators remain well below their historic average. 

The balance of manufacturers reporting a rise in domestic and export sales fell drastically. However, the balance of manufacturers reporting increased export orders rose from the previous negative position in Q3.

Investment intentions remain weak by historic standards – the balance of local firms in the manufacturing sector that plan to increase investment in plant and machinery dropped back to a negative position – whilst the fall was not as great, both the National and the East of England results also fell.

Cashflow – a key indicator of the health of businesses – Nationally showed a slightly improved result, but remained very weak across both manufacturing and service sectors.  Locally, both the Norfolk and the East of England service and manufacturing sectors reported decreased cashflow (-6 and -10 respectively in Norfolk and -10 and -4 in the East of England).

Key Norfolk findings in the Q4 2019 survey:

Services sector:

• The balance of firms reporting increased domestic sales fell from +8 in Q3 2019 to -7. Those reporting increased domestic orders fell from 0 to -12.
• The balance of firms reporting improved export sales dropped from -5 to -12. Those reporting increased export orders fell from -5 to -31, and all-time low.
• The balance of firms reporting improved cashflow fell from +2 to -6
• The balance of firms looking to increase investment in plant and machinery remained at -14 but rose slightly from +7 to +9 for training
• The balance of firms confident that turnover and profitability will improve over the next year increased from +10 to +26 for turnover and from -5 to -4 for profitability.  Despite these slight improvements, the figures still remain weak.

Manufacturing sector:

• The balance of firms reporting increased domestic sales fell from 0 in Q3 2019, to -20
• While those reporting increased domestic orders continued to fall from -11 to -20
• The balance of firms reporting improved export sales rose from -6 to +11
• The balance of firms reporting increased export orders improved considerably from -24 to 0
• The balance of firms reporting improved cashflow fell deeper into negative territory from -5 in Q3 to -20 in Q4
• The balance of firms increasing investment in plant/machinery fell from +10 to -10 and investment in training rose from +10 to +30
• The balance of firms confident that turnover and profitability will increase in the next 12 months fell from +38 to +10 for turnover and from +14 to 0 for profitability. This is still much lower than the post-recession average.

Take part in the first Quarterly Economic Survey of 2020 – I’ts completely anonymous and takes less than 3 minutes to complete.

On the 13th February we welcomed our members to the first West Norfolk Lunch of 2020. The room was filled with around 30 business from all over Norfolk, many travelling from Norwich to attend and of course, our local West Norfolk members ventured to the beautiful The Ffolkes Inn. 

The late morning event consisted of networking over coffee, and chats with our feature charity; EACH. The EACH stand had some beautiful pictures of their new hopsice located in Poringland as well as information on what you can do to get involved and support them. 

We were called to be seated and enjoyed a delicious two course lunch provided the fantastic Ffolke Inn staff. We then heard from the very talented and knowledgable Lucy Mowatt, Director of Method Marketing, on what is conent marketing?  Lucy explained that content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valueable, relevant and consistent content. Lucy went on to say that content can be anyting from online articles, case studies and videos to podcasts and social media updates. Content is needed for brand awareness, engagement and conversations with your potential customers and to reach a wider audience. 

Lucy gave the audience some tips on how to get started with content marketing and said that the most important thing to get started is to always do your research and know your audience, with this in place you can then begin to develop a strategy and create a plan to measure your outcomes. 

If your wanting to find out more about content marketing, you can find Lucy’s directory here.