Bassetlaw District Council and the RNN Group will be bridging the skills gap in North Nottinghamshire with a new partnership that will deliver better futures for local people. The RNN Group confirmed this week that they will be the first education provider to deliver opportunities at ‘The Bridge – Skills Hub’, the Council’s flagship regeneration project that is currently taking shape at Bridge Court in Worksop (formerly badged as the Worksop Access to Skills Hub). Creation of ‘The Bridge’ has been supported by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership with funding of £3.5million from their allocation of the Government’s Getting Building Fund. The Bridge will welcome students, businesses and learners in April this year through courses that will provide access to Higher Education and meet the emerging needs of local and regional employers. As well as initially offering opportunities across a range of subjects including Health and Social Care and Leadership and Management, it is anticipated that more diverse subjects in the fields of digital transformation; green technologies and low carbon and construction will be offered as the provision of skills providers is expanded. ‘The Bridge’ will create 50 jobs and support 300 learners, following a 12-month build project that has seen a long-term vacant building at the gateway to the town centre transformed into a state of the art skills hub. More announcements are expected as the project develops.

Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive at D2N2, said: “I’m delighted with the progress of this project and the impact our funding is having to increase skills and career opportunities within Worksop and North Nottinghamshire. “This transformational regeneration scheme will provide a range of opportunities for learners who might never have considered Higher or Further Education, helping to address skills shortages and meet new and emerging needs within the local community.”

Based in Leicester and Brighton, operating nationwide, M-EC is a quality driven firm of technical development consultants, providing engineering consultancy for a range of industries and sectors. The team is passionate about learning and development and has been offering apprenticeships across its different engineering and environmental disciplines since 2012. Dedicated to supporting individuals to succeed and achieve their ambitions, during National Apprenticeship Week 2022 (7^th to 13^th February), M-EC will be launching its next intake of apprentices. There are opportunities available for eager and enthusiastic school leavers and A level graduates in civil engineering and geotechnical drilling. M-EC’s head of people, Joanna Stevens, said: “Growing our business while supporting the local community with training and development opportunities is important to us and sits well alongside this year’s National Apprenticeship Week theme of ‘Build the Future’. “We have excellent opportunities available this year including Level 3 and Level 6 Civil Engineering apprenticeships, suitable for a passionate and ambitious GCSE school leavers and A level graduates. There will be opportunities to work on a range of projects and learn about civils, structures and flood risk by joining M-EC as Civil Engineering Technicians. “In addition, we are teaming up with the British Drilling Association to offer the opportunity for a Trainee Geotechnical Driller apprentice to be trained as a ‘second man’ assistant driller on our drilling rig.” This is the tenth year of offering apprentice opportunities and M-EC is keen to find new trainees to join the team in delivering engineering consultancy services for both private and public sector projects including residential, commercial, industrial, retail, leisure, education and healthcare.

Entries close tonight at midnight for a chance to win a free office design as part of the 25^th anniversary celebrations for Lincolnshire commercial office design and refurbishment company APSS. As businesses across the UK have been forced to adapt to a post-COVID working life, many companies have been forever changed. “The way offices are used has changed, and businesses need to ensure they reflect the new way of working,” explained Stuart Marsland, sales director for APSS. “When an office is designed to specifically meet the needs of the business, there is a significant increase in staff morale, as well as productivity. You will find the business flows better and becomes more efficient. “In addition to celebrating our 25^th anniversary, we want to help those businesses who may not have considered bringing in a professional company to redesign their office before. If we can help them to better understand the flow of how their business could work going forward, it will make a huge difference to that company.” Established in Lincoln in 1997, APSS has evolved from a partitions and storage solution company to providing clients with a full design and fit out service. APSS specialises in creating offices which showcase a company’s brand, personality and help boost staff morale, productivity, and efficiency using inspirational designs and natural light. Entries close at midnight on February 7^th, 2022. To enter, submit an online form and answer four questions about what both the company and its staff want included in their office environment. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges and will receive computer-generated images and a video walkthrough of the design to show what potential the office has. In the last 25 years APSS has completed over 10,000 orders for customers across the country. The company’s first-ever customer was Siemens. Since then, it has designed and refurbished offices and retail spaces for Wren Kitchens, Slimming World, Octopus Energy, Loughborough University, University of Sheffield and Bakkavor to name just a few. For all terms and conditions of the competition, please visit the APSS website.

Anglian Water outlines largest ever year of investment focusing on climate resilience, environmental protection and driving down leakage Including £28million of support for customers as cost of living increases Anglian Water has today unveiled a huge £680million investment programme for the year ahead. The largest investment ever planned for a single year will be spent across the entire East of England, which is the driest and one of the fastest-growing parts of the country. The funds will be ploughed into areas of work specifically aimed at preparing the region to meet the urgent challenges of climate change and population growth, as well as protecting the environment. The water company will also continue to offer a wide range of support for customers to help them plan and manage their water bills, as the cost of living increases that have swept the UK over the last 12 months are set to continue. Average water bills for the coming year are expected to be £454 for the year, or just £1.24 per day – an increase of just 6p per day on last year’s charges. This 5% rise compares to a forecasted average energy bill price hike of around 40%. Having a water meter remains the best way of keeping bills affordable as customers only pay for what they use. Anglian Water’s Director of Customer and Wholesale, Pete Holland said: “We know this year is going to be tough for our customers, as the cost of living increases for us all. That’s why we’re committed to keeping water bills as low as possible while still preparing our region to meet the significant challenges of a rapidly changing climate, and growing population. “The average bill of £1.24 per day pays for all the water you need to wash your hands, to drink and to cook, and for every flush of the loo and cycle of the washing machine. But more than that, it helps us build and look after a water network that protects both the environment and our customers while looking ahead to future challenges too.” A £680million investment programme: fit for a changing region Operating in the driest region of the UK, Anglian Water has often highlighted the future challenges of water scarcity facing the East of England. The company’s largest ever five-year business plan, which began in 2020, outlined ground breaking schemes specifically designed to tackle this challenge, while protecting the region’s environment for the long term. The proposals were wholeheartedly endorsed by customers. This is the third year of that cycle and will see boots-on-the-ground as this work continues, including: ·       Environmental investment: £157million to protect and enhance the natural environment by removing chemicals such as phosphates and ammonia from used water, and working with organisations like The Rivers Trusts on river restoration projects to protect some of the region’s unique chalk stream habitats. This work forms part of Anglian’s £800million Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), which is larger than that of any other water company. ·       Tackling CSOs: Within that programme of work, £52million will be spent on work tackling Combined Storm Overflows by increasing the network’s capacity to store excess rainwater, investigating and remedying the highest spilling CSOs and installing more monitors across the sewer network, so future investment can be targeted in the places where it can have the most benefit for the environment. ·       Securing future supplies: £124million continuing work on the region’s biggest water infrastructure project for a generation, creating hundreds of kilometres of new interconnecting pipelines and associated infrastructure to move water around the region wherever and whenever needed.  This is part of an ambitious new investment in resilience to keep taps running and minimise the impacts of future droughts, and reducing the amount of water taken directly from the environment. ·       Helping customers save water: £31million will be spent on the continuation of the company’s programme to roll out over 1 million upgraded water meters across the region, helping customers to understand their water usage and identifying leaks in customer’s homes to better meet demand for water in the future. ·       Reducing leakage: £11million on continuing to drive down leaks, retaining Anglian Water’s position as having the lowest level of leakage of any water company in the UK, by almost half. The company will also invest heavily in maintaining and improving customer service, providing top quality drinking water and protecting the region against severe weather such as drought and flooding. Continuing support for customers and communities Every year Anglian Water commits £1million to help vulnerable customers facing financial hardship. The year Anglian Water will  continue to extend financial support to over 300,000 households via its WaterCare Service. Alongside helping people who’ve needed financial support this year, the water company has also increased the number of customers signed up to its Priority Services Register, meaning over 250,000 of the most vulnerable customers will get additional help should they need it. The company’s priority service helps a wide range of people, from those with sight, hearing, or mobility difficulties, to parents with babies under 12 months old. The service also provides support to customers with long or short-term medical needs should there be any interruption to their water supply. Pete continued: “Offering the right support for our customers has never been more important. Over the next 12 months we’ll be helping over 300,000 people by putting together packages of support that are tailored to meet their individual needs. This might be through accessing affordable tariffs or payment holidays for those who may be struggling to pay, or could be as simple as direct debit payments to help spread the cost each month. “Whatever the circumstances, our message to customers is simple: if you’re struggling, please get in touch. The sooner we talk, the sooner we can help. And not only with your water bill, our Extra Care team can also signpost you to other support that you may be entitled to. “This is the biggest investment we’ve ever made in a 12-month period and it comes at an incredibly challenging time for everyone. Our customers can be reassured that we invest every pound in doing the right thing now and for the long term. We believe our responsibility is to them, their communities and to the environment we look after.”

The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo will return on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln. A well targeted, free to attend event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets, for which Business Link is a proud partner, it has everything you require for a great day of networking and business generation. Take this opportunity to meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road. Opening at 9am, as the exhibition closes (circa 2pm), it will roll directly into an informal network lunch – tickets are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online.

To attend the event, register for free here.

To generate opportunities by exhibiting at the event, click here.

Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the Government to look again at its planned hikes to National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to facilitate more workplace opportunities for young people as part of levelling up efforts. The recommendation comes as this year’s Apprenticeship Week begins today in England. Last week, the Government established an aim of having “200,000 more people successfully completing high-quality skills training annually, driven by 80,000 more people completing courses in the lowest skilled areas,” as part of its Levelling Up white paper. FSB’s latest Small Business Index shows the proportion of small firms citing lack of access to appropriately skilled staff as a barrier to growth has risen ten percentage points to 33% over the past year. Though exemptions do exist for apprenticeships, FSB estimates that employers are paying NICs for most apprentices across the UK. Apprenticeship starts have dropped from just under 500,000 a year in 2016/17, before the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, to under 325,000 in 2020/21. To address these trends, FSB is urging policymakers to:

• Remove all employer NICs costs for apprentices to spur role creation.
• Cancel planned increases to NICs across the board and dividend taxation to free up funds for recruitment and training among entrepreneurs.
• Reintroduce the £3,000 incentive to hire an apprentice that ran until January of this year, targeting the funding at small businesses.

FSBs policy representative Clare Elsby said: “Apprenticeship Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the importance of on-the-job education and the massive benefits it brings to employee and employer alike. Our apprentices are our future business leaders and innovators, and that’s why we should be doing all we can to create more of them. “By looking again at its approach to NICs, the Government can make a real difference here – directly, by bringing down the immediate costs of taking an apprentice on, and indirectly, by freeing up more funds for recruitment and training at a moment when cash reserves are depleted. “Small businesses disproportionately hire young people and those from disadvantaged groups when they create apprenticeships, so a targeted reintroduction of the hiring incentive that existed over lockdowns makes sense in the context of the levelling up agenda.”

A group seeking to work with the EFL and administrators to save Derby County say they are disheartened by the league’s latest position. ‘Team Derby’, made up of MPs, council leaders and business stakeholders, have been attempting to broker an agreement that would allow the football club to come to an arrangement with creditors and secure a sale to new owners. At a joint meeting with the EFL and administrators last week, the league agreed that the High Court would be asked to adjudicate on the issue of legal claims being mounted by Middlesbrough FC and Wycombe Wanderers against the Rams. The administrators contend that these claims should not be treated as football debts, which the league’s rules demand would have to be paid in full as part of any rescue package. The claims, although felt to be spurious by the administrators and their legal advisors, could run to millions of pounds if they were upheld and none of the parties currently interested in buying the club are prepared to move forward while matters are unresolved. Despite the league’s agreement last week that the issue could be put before the High Court for determination, the EFL has now issued a statement saying that the claims must be treated as if they are football debts and cannot be crammed down as part of a restructuring plan to exit administration. At a meeting to consider the latest developments, Team Derby concluded: “We are fast losing confidence in the process and are struggling to see how actions are matching the rhetoric of trying to save DCFC. “Team Derby feels that the EFL’s change of position is disheartening and leaves them increasingly concerned about the future of the club and they are now demanding an urgent joint meeting with EFL representatives and the administrators and will seek separate discussions with Government through Sports Minister Nigel Huddlestone. “Parliament has already called for all parties to show pragmatism in finding a solution to ensure Derby County’s survival. So far, we have seen little evidence of this from the EFL. “Team Derby members are concerned that another week has gone by, and we are no nearer to a solution. The situation becomes more and more perilous by the minute. “The EFL has repeatedly said that it does not want to see Derby County fold. Now it is time for their actions to match their words.”

Nottingham-based robotic automation specialist, The Robot Exchange, has announced the completion of a major discovery project with soft drinks giant Coca Cola HBC. In the last year, The Robot Exchange has seen a 10 times increase in clients and a headcount rise of 15 becoming a major supplier of robotic process automation (RPA) to the UK and Irish markets as customers seek greater efficiencies in their processes and seek to reduce wastage of resource and time. The project with Coca Cola HBC saw the expanding The Robot Exchange team create a full RPA transformation roadmap for the business as part of their plans to scale up RPA digital transformation. After reviewing existing workflow and repetitive and human intensive processes, the team worked with Coca Cola HBC’s internal business leaders and process owner SMEs within the group to talk about which processes were frustrating, causing issues or were unnecessarily time consuming. Andy Wallace, CEO at The Robot Exchange, said: “Working with such a globally recognised brand and business has been hugely rewarding and a testimony to the quality of service that we can provide. “I am very proud of the work the team has done in terms of documenting processes in terms of maps, sizing and checklists and identifying the best areas for automation suitability. “We have also been able to assess the current human time and costs for our client and as a result, we have identified opportunities to improve efficiency by allocating resources in the best possible way whilst providing a clear view on the return on investment by moving to automation.”