Leicestershire’s Trading Standards team is preparing to enforce new legislation banning the sale and supply of disposable vapes from 1 June. The law applies to all businesses, including online and in-store retailers.

Roughly 400 independent vape sellers across the county have been contacted by Trading Standards to help them prepare for compliance. The clampdown follows rising concerns over youth vaping rates and environmental waste linked to single-use products.

Retailers found selling banned items after the deadline risk unlimited fines or up to two years in prison. They are also legally required to dispose of remaining stock via registered vape recycling services; disposing of them in general waste is prohibited. Only reusable, refillable, or rechargeable vapes will remain legal to sell.

This move comes as national data shows a significant increase in underage vape use, with the percentage of 11-to-15-year-olds using vapes now at nine per cent, triple the figure from three years ago.

Leicestershire businesses seeking compliance support can contact the local Trading Standards office. Residents are also being encouraged to report non-compliant retailers through the council’s reporting platform.

The UK Government has announced plans to shift funding away from Level 7 apprenticeships to lower-level schemes as part of a broader £3 billion investment in skills training, aimed at creating 120,000 new opportunities by January 2026.

While this move is intended to boost early-career pathways and support individuals entering the workforce without academic qualifications, the reallocation of funding has prompted concern among business groups in the East Midlands. The region’s business community is wary that prioritising entry-level apprenticeships could limit routes for workers to develop advanced capabilities through work-based learning, particularly in sectors that demand specialist knowledge.

With skills shortages continuing to hamper recruitment, seven in ten East Midlands firms report difficulties in finding qualified candidates. As a result, employers are increasingly turning to apprenticeships as a means of building industry-specific talent pipelines. Business leaders warn that narrowing access to higher-level schemes could reduce flexibility for companies seeking to upskill existing employees or attract candidates into technical and leadership roles through non-academic means.

The business case, they argue, is not just about volume but about aligning training investment with real-world workforce needs, whether at Level 2 or Level 7. As the government reforms the apprenticeship system, maintaining a balanced approach to skills development will be critical for long-term business resilience.

Applauding the achievements of the region’s property and construction industry, the East Midlands Bricks Awards are back for 2025, and now is your chance to showcase outstanding businesses and projects by submitting an entry for the esteemed event. The annual celebration, now in its 10th year, shines the spotlight on those behind the changing landscape of the East Midlands, highlighting development projects, businesses, and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. It also toasts the work of architects, agencies, and those behind large schemes, with categories including Contractor of the Year, Developer of the Year, Architects of the Year, Most Active Agent, Deal of the Year, Residential Development of the Year, Sustainable Development of the Year, Commercial Development of the Year, Excellence in Design, Responsible Business of the Year, and Overall Winner. Providing an ideal opportunity to showcase achievements, recognise teams, boost morale, and reach our audience of over 60,000 business readers, the East Midlands Bricks Awards are completely free to enter, and making the top three finalists in your category will win you free tickets to the annual awards ceremony. Winners will be revealed on Thursday 2nd October at Nottingham’s famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. Running from 4.30pm – 7.30pm, the evening will also provide opportunities to establish new connections with property and construction professionals from across the region over complementary drinks. Reflecting on last year’s awards, Robert Maxey, partner at heb Surveyors, said: “It was an honour to take home the Deal of the Year award at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2024, especially because the other nominees in the category were so strong! It was extremely pleasing to see recognition of our team’s efforts and the event provided a great boost to morale. “Celebrating excellence in our region’s property and construction sector, and offering a great chance to catch up with local professionals, I’d encourage other businesses to get involved with an entry, to showcase your business and the impact it is making in the industry.”

To make a nomination for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, please click here, or on one of the categories below.

Categories include:

• Contractor of the Year
• Developer of the Year
• Architects of the Year
• Most Active Agent
• Deal of the Year
• Residential Development of the Year
• Sustainable Development of the Year
• Commercial Development of the Year
• Excellence in Design
• Responsible Business of the Year
• Overall Winner

All finalists will have the chance to take home the Overall Winner award, which this year comes with a grand prize of a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000, with the opportunity to split or gift the marketing to a charity of your choice. Supporting imagery, video, documents, or links to these, can be sent to bricks@blmgroup.co.uk. Video nomination pitches are also welcome as an alternative or companion to written entries.

Nominations will close on Friday 15th August.

New for this year, all entrants will also have the opportunity to be featured on our dedicated nominee showcase on the East Midlands Business Link website, providing space for marketing your achievements. Upon submitting a nomination, we will get in touch for any information, imagery, and video nominees would like to be featured on their showcase page.

The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025

What: The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 When: Thursday 2nd October (4.30pm – 7.30pm) Where: Derek Randall Suite, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham Keynote speaker: Councillor Nadine Peatfield – Leader of Derby City Council, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, and Deputy Mayor of the East Midlands Tickets: Available here Dress code: Standard business attire Thanks to our sponsors:                                                                

To be held at:

With a limited number of sponsorship opportunities remaining, please contact Angie Cooper at a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk to learn more if you are interested in becoming an East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 sponsor.

Mobile Vet Referral, a Northamptonshire-based freelance veterinary service, has secured £50,000 in funding through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, delivered by First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans. The funding was split evenly between the company’s co-founders, allowing for the purchase of specialised veterinary equipment and the launch of digital advertising to support growth.

The business provides advanced diagnostic services, including ultrasound and endoscopy, on a referral basis to other veterinary practices in the region. Positioned as a mobile, independent provider, it aims to offer flexible and specialist services to practices without in-house capabilities.

The funding package is part of a broader initiative to support start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are unable to access traditional lending. First Enterprise provides loans ranging from £500 to £150,000, reinvesting surplus funds into regional economic development.

This latest support underscores the ongoing role of alternative finance providers in backing high-skill, service-driven businesses across the UK’s healthcare and veterinary sectors.

Yellow Rail, a specialist rail engineering firm under the Buckland Rail group, is relocating to Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works in a move that will more than double its existing workshop capacity.

The relocation, set for completion by September 2025, will allow Yellow Rail to expand its freight wagon and bogie overhaul capabilities and integrate remote field services onto a single site. The company anticipates creating approximately 25 new jobs as part of this growth initiative.

The Litchurch Lane site, operated by Alstom, is the UK’s only facility that designs, builds, and tests trains for both domestic and international markets. The move positions Yellow Rail closer to major OEM and Tier 1 partners, aligning with the development of Rail Campus Derby, an industry cluster designed to accelerate innovation and co-location in the sector.

This announcement reinforces Derby’s standing as a national rail hub, already employing over 11,000 people in the sector. The city was chosen as the home of Great British Railways in 2022 and continues to attract investment and industrial collaboration within the rail supply chain. The transition comes as Alstom prepares for a high-profile rail industry showcase, further cementing the site’s role in shaping the future of UK rail manufacturing and maintenance.

Keys Group, a provider of specialist education and care services, has acquired ADHD 360, a Lincolnshire-based private healthcare provider specialising in neurodiversity assessments, diagnosis and treatment.

The acquisition enables Halesowen-based Keys Group to expand and diversify the specialist support it offers to children and adults across the UK. ADHD 360 delivers services for both privately and NHS-funded clients, supporting individuals with ADHD, autism and other neurodiverse conditions.

David Manson, CEO of Keys Group, said: “As waiting times for ADHD and neurodiversity diagnoses continue to grow, ADHD 360 offers an invaluable and timely service.

“Many of the individuals we support – both children and adults – are neurodiverse, and we understand the transformative impact of receiving the right diagnosis and treatment at the right time. ADHD 360’s expertise will not only strengthen our service offering, but also help us to improve outcomes for even more people across the UK.”

Journeo, an Ashby-de-la-Zouch-based provider of information systems and technical services to transport operators and local authorities, has secured a £4.2m purchase order from Alstom.

It will see Journeo design and supply CCTV and Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) systems to enhance safety, security and operational efficiency on Alstom’s CrossCountry Voyager fleets.

The purchase order forms part of a major refurbishment programme being carried out by Alstom for 70 Voyager trains and encompasses 312 cars, comprising 136 Voyager (Class 220) and 176 Super Voyager (Class 221) vehicles respectively.

Journeo have already commenced design and initial equipment supply and will support Alstom during the installation phase being carried out at their Derby Litchurch Lane facility which is due for completion in 2027.

Russ Singleton, Chief Executive, Journeo, said: “We are delighted to be working with Alstom at their historic Litchurch Lane facility in Derby as an integral part of this important refurbishment programme of the CrossCountry Voyager fleet.

“The application of Journeo’s technology to help prolong the life of existing rolling stock, alongside its implementation on new trains, demonstrates the flexibility of our solutions and how their use can support sustainable rejuvenation of fleets.

“The installations are underpinned by Journeo’s core IP, enabling the operator to manage operation-critical data, such as occupancy data and securely captured and stored high-definition CCTV evidence through the SaaS Journeo Portal.”

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) has launched a dedicated data academy in partnership with UK tech training provider Multiverse, designed to upskill staff in clinical, administrative, and operational roles.

The initiative is designed to strengthen the trust’s ability to use data effectively across departments and maximise returns on its digital investments. Programmes offered through the academy include Level 3 and Level 4 apprenticeships in data and business transformation, as well as Multiverse’s advanced data fellowship programme, which is equivalent to a degree.

Funded through the Apprenticeship Levy, the academy supports a broader drive within the NHS to build internal digital capacity and reduce reliance on external data expertise.

Multiverse has recently rolled out similar data training programmes for other public sector bodies, including Sheffield City Council, Essex County Council, and the London Borough of Hillingdon, as part of a broader trend of UK institutions investing in workforce data literacy.

The UHN project highlights growing demand for integrated, in-house data skills in healthcare environments, where frontline teams increasingly require real-time insight to support clinical decisions and improve operational efficiency.

The UK government has reclassified two major reservoir projects in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire as “nationally significant infrastructure,” fast-tracking them through the planning system to secure long-term water resilience.

The move shifts approval authority from local planning bodies to the Environment Secretary, aiming to streamline a process that typically faces delays from local objections and regulatory bottlenecks. The Fens Reservoir is scheduled for completion by 2036, while the Lincolnshire Reservoir is set for completion by 2040.

These projects are part of a broader strategy to address rising water demand driven by climate change, population growth, housing developments, and increased industrial use, including pressure from sectors like data centres. The fast-track announcement follows a dry spring and growing concerns over the frequency of droughts, particularly in eastern England, one of the driest and most water-stressed parts of the UK.

The government also confirmed plans to classify seven additional reservoir proposals as nationally significant, supporting a wider initiative announced in 2023 to develop nine new reservoirs by 2050. Together, these projects aim to supply an extra 670 million litres of water per day.

While welcomed by infrastructure and water industry leaders, the announcement has raised concerns over costs, public opposition, and the timeline, none of the new reservoirs are expected to be operational this decade.

East Midlands Chamber has cautiously welcomed a government pledge to increase investment into lower-level apprenticeships but warned measures must not cut off ways to upskill without requiring traditional education. Measures the Department for Education says will create 120,000 opportunities for training from a £3bn budget include a ‘refocusing’ of funding from Level 7 apprenticeships to lower-level schemes from January 2026. East Midlands Chamber director of resources Lucy Robinson said: “With the skills shortage a persistent challenge to businesses, and 7 out of 10 firms having reported in our Quarterly Economic Survey that they’ve struggled to find suitable candidates, apprenticeships can be a brilliant solution, giving employers a talent pool that has relevant industry skill. “While increased investment into apprenticeships will be music to the ears of many firms looking to recruit, tilting the spend in favour of lower-level schemes must be responsive to what businesses need – not give with one hand, take from the other. A candidate should have the option to take on a Level 7 apprenticeship, instead of only having the option of taking an academic route to get into some higher-level professions. “A classroom can go so far in preparing candidates for employment, but the social interaction of being alongside workers from a specific industry and the real-world learning that can be gained from an apprenticeship is priceless. Listening to what firms say they need and striking the right balance to prioritise that is crucial.”

Nottingham City Council has launched an AI Academy to train 40 employees across various departments in data and artificial intelligence, aiming to enhance digital capabilities within public services.

The programme is being delivered in partnership with edtech provider Multiverse and is primarily funded through an apprenticeship levy transfer from Capital One. Enterprise Rent-A-Car has also provided financial support. Both companies have a local presence near the council’s headquarters.

Staff enrolled in the academy span key areas, including public health, transportation, children’s services, and community safety. The training is designed to integrate AI skills into frontline and operational roles, as part of the council’s wider improvement plan.

Multiverse, which has trained over 20,000 apprentices in digital skills since 2016, has worked with Nottingham City Council for several years. The new training cohort will focus specifically on AI literacy and practical applications within local government.

This move comes as local authorities across the UK explore ways to modernise service delivery and reduce inefficiencies through digital transformation.