Apprenticeship events support Chesterfield’s future workforce

April Lara
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Apprenticeship events support Chesterfield’s future workforce

Chesterfield Borough Council is strengthening its business talent pipeline by connecting school leavers with local employers through a series of Apprenticeship and T Level information events. The initiative targets sectors with strong regional demand, including construction, manufacturing, engineering, and health and social care.

These events, delivered in partnership with the East Midlands Combined County Authority Careers Hub, the ASK programme, and a network of local firms, aim to bridge the gap between education and employment. Outcomes from this academic year already include student enrolment at Chesterfield College’s Construction Skills Hub and new apprenticeship hires.

Employers participating in the events include Frank Shaw Associates, Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Stepnell, United Cast Bar, MSE Hiller, and regional universities. The initiative is part of the UK’s first designated ‘Apprentice Town’, a place-based strategy where apprenticeships form a core part of economic development.

There are currently around 60 apprenticeship opportunities available within a 10-mile radius of Chesterfield, according to the national Find an Apprenticeship service. The next council-run information event is scheduled for October.

By focusing on vocational routes and promoting direct employer engagement, Chesterfield is positioning its young talent as a solution to local skills shortages and long-term business growth.

Derby-based PfP Thrive unites 26 industry leaders to tackle housing sector skills shortage

Tess Egginton
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Derby-based PfP Thrive unites 26 industry leaders to tackle housing sector skills shortage
PfP Thrive, part of Places for People, has struck up partnerships with housing associations to deliver bespoke training programmes designed to address the critical skills shortage in the housing and construction sectors. With demand for skilled workers at an all-time high, PfP Thrive is delivering tailored and comprehensive training modules for the UK housing and construction sectors and now, it has announced a new collaboration with 26 major industry names, including Havebury Housing, Amplius Housing, Futures Housing Group, Thrive Homes, Saffron Housing, Wates Group, Peabody Housing, East Midlands Homes (EMH), Alpha Living, Platform HG, Plymouth Community Homes, Novus Property Solutions, Gilmartin’s Group, Breck Group, Flagship Group, Notting Hill Genesis, The Guinness Partnership, Alpha Living, Derventio Housing Trust, Anchor, Riverside, Nottingham Community Housing, Warrington Housing Association, and West Kent Housing. Learning partners have also come on board, with the Retrofit Academy, City and Guilds, Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Study Academy supporting training and accreditation moving forward. By working together, the partnership will rapidly train new and existing colleagues within the housing sector, ensuring the sector has the expertise needed to maintain homes, meet retrofit targets, and deliver ambitious housebuilding programmes. The initiative will focus on traditional trades, emerging skills and housing specific learning ensuring the workforce is futureproofed to meet the evolving needs of the industry. In addition to technical training, PfP Thrive will also offer compliance courses, apprenticeships, and leadership development programmes, helping to create a pipeline of skilled professionals at all levels. Tom Arey, director of PfP Thrive, said: “The skills shortage is one of the greatest challenges facing the housing and construction sectors today. The only way to solve it is through genuine cross-industry collaboration, and that’s exactly what we’ve built with these partnerships and look forward to supporting more organisations across our sector. “By working together, we can equip both the existing and new housing workforce with the skills, knowledge and behaviours the sector needs to thrive. This is about securing the future of our sector, our workforce, and ultimately, the homes we build and maintain.” PfP Thrive aims to train over 100 apprentices in its first year, with a new academy and central hub in Derby welcoming its first intake this autumn.

Chief financial officer steps down at Marks Electrical Group

Tess Egginton
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Chief financial officer steps down at Marks Electrical Group

The chief financial officer at Marks Electrical Group, the Leicester-based online electrical retailer, is set to leave the company to take up a new role as chief financial officer of Roadchef.

Marks Electrical is now commencing a process to appoint a successor. Josh Egan, who remains a director of the company, will continue to fulfil his current role, which will include supporting the business through its preliminary results in June and facilitating a smooth transition. 

Mark Smithson, CEO of Marks Electrical, said: “Josh has made a great contribution to the transformation of Marks Electrical, bringing professionalism and rigour to the finance function and through wider support across the business. Our financial controls, reporting and financial discipline are in a far stronger place than when he arrived.

“Under his guidance, we have improved our financial and operational capabilities, creating a strong platform for our future success. He has been a great colleague, and we thank him for his efforts at Marks Electrical and wish him well in his new role.”

Josh Egan, CFO of Marks Electrical, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Mark and the team, as we transitioned from a successful family-owned business to a publicly traded company. It’s never an easy decision to leave a great business, especially with the progress we have made over the last few years.

“However, the opportunity has arisen for me to take on an exciting new challenge. I leave Marks Electrical in a good position and have every confidence that the business will continue to flourish, as it executes on its strategy of driving profitable market share gains to become the UK’s leading premium electrical retailer.”

PR agency joins creative community in Northampton

Tess Egginton
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PR agency joins creative community in Northampton
Ballyhoo PR, a Northamptonshire-based public relations agency, has moved its operations from Lamport to creative hub Vulcan Works, in the heart of Northampton’s Cultural Quarter. The move marks the start of a new chapter for Ballyhoo PR, which celebrated nine years in business last month. Ballyhoo PR started working with the team at Vulcan Works at the end of 2022, preparing for its official opening in February 2023. Since then, they have established a strong agency/client relationship and Ballyhoo PR has seen first-hand the benefits of using the flexible workspace and additional services provided by Vulcan Works to support business growth. Emma Speirs, founder and director of Ballyhoo PR, said: “As soon as we walked through the doors of Vulcan Works, we were impressed with the space, which combines old and new and pays tribute to Northamptonshire’s shoe-making heritage. “Since then, we have helped to tell the stories of the inspiring entrepreneurs and thriving businesses who call Vulcan Works home. We’ve also seen how hard the team work to support businesses and help them to grow through various events, workshops, and a dedicated business support manager on-site. “I adored our converted barn office in Lamport and it was our home for just shy of four years. But, like many businesses, we adopted a hybrid way of working and were only using the office once or twice a week and the bills were constantly going up. “Now, we have taken out coworking memberships at Vulcan Works for all of the team and use it as our base. We still meet up to work together as a team a minimum of once a week but now have the added benefits of being part of a wider, creative community with additional opportunities for business support too. “The move also gives us a town centre base and makes us much more visible as a business. We should have done this years ago!” Garrick Hurter, centre manager at Vulcan Works, added: “Ballyhoo PR is a perfect fit for Vulcan Works, which was established to provide flexible, scalable workspace solutions for creative businesses. “The Ballyhoo team were always welcome and felt part of our team, but now they are regularly working out of Vulcan Works, we get to see more of them. “Ballyhoo PR has been instrumental in helping tell the Vulcan Works story and the team have a deep understanding of what we’re about. Having them embedded in the space brings everything full circle and we look forward to seeing their business continue to thrive here.”

Airport fleet switches to renewable fuel in East Midlands

April Lara
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Airport fleet switches to renewable fuel in East Midlands

East Midlands Airport has transitioned over 60 of its operational vehicles to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) biodiesel, cutting their carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional diesel. The switch includes airfield operations vehicles, fire engines, snow ploughs, and other ground support units.

The move aligns with Manchester Airports Group’s (MAG) five-year sustainability strategy, which aims for net zero operations across its airports, including Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands- by 2038.

Supplied by YourNRG, the HVO fuel is derived from waste vegetable oils and fats. It undergoes hydrogen treatment to create a clean-burning, biodegradable fuel that also significantly reduces particulate emissions.

East Midlands Airport has been carbon neutral since 2012 and was the first UK airport to achieve certification from the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme. Alongside the new fuel switch, the site uses 100% renewable electricity, has installed commercial-grade wind turbines, and diverts all waste from landfill. Additional upgrades include electric ambulifts for passengers with reduced mobility and expanded electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for airside vehicles.

The fuel conversion reflects growing momentum among UK infrastructure and transport hubs to decarbonise operations with scalable, low-carbon technologies.

East Midlands manufacturers urged to accelerate digital adoption

April Lara
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East Midlands manufacturers urged to accelerate digital adoption

Manufacturers in the East Midlands are being encouraged to capitalise on Made Smarter, a government-backed programme that offers tailored support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to integrate digital technologies into their operations.

The initiative includes up to £20,000 in matched grant funding to help manufacturers automate manual processes, improve stock control, or enhance production planning through the use of technology. Beyond funding, the programme provides access to digital experts, personalised change roadmaps, leadership and skills development, and fully funded internships pairing manufacturers with students or graduates to explore digital projects without long-term commitments.

The support aims to improve productivity, reduce costs, and increase resilience for regional manufacturers, many of whom are under pressure to modernise in the face of economic uncertainty and global competition.

With limited places available and time-sensitive funding, businesses are being encouraged to assess their digital readiness and act now to secure support. The Made Smarter programme has already demonstrated results in other regions, where participants report improved efficiency, faster innovation, and greater confidence in deploying new technologies.

Side-hustle support programme targets UK’s next wave of entrepreneurs

April Lara
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Side-hustle support programme targets UK’s next wave of entrepreneurs

Small Business Britain and eBay have launched a free six-week digital skills programme designed to help UK side-hustlers formalise and scale their ventures into full-time businesses.

The initiative, called the Side-Hustle Lab, launched on June 4 and will support up to 500 early-stage entrepreneurs. It includes online modules on launching and growing a business, managing time and finances, selling through platforms like eBay, customer service, and sustainability.

The programme responds to a five-year decline in UK small business numbers, which fell from 6 million in 2020 to 5.45 million in 2024. Despite the downturn, new research suggests side-hustling is now the most common entry point into entrepreneurship, accounting for 39% of small business launches. Nearly half of those eventually become full-time operations.

Participants will receive guidance from industry experts and gain access to a peer network of fellow entrepreneurs. The training also focuses on e-commerce, digital marketing, and artificial intelligence, areas of increasing relevance in today’s small business landscape.

The move is part of a broader call for more tailored support for micro-enterprises and emerging founders, particularly those launching businesses alongside other work.

Funding support sees Leicester manufacturer gear up for global growth

Tess Egginton
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Funding support sees Leicester manufacturer gear up for global growth
A Leicester-based family manufacturing business is accelerating its global growth following a six-figure funding package from Lloyds. DMMP Limited, a subsidiary of the fourth-generation, family-owned George A. Palmer Group, designs and distributes high-precision fertiliser spreaders for the amenity and landscape sectors. Originally established as a UK wholesaler in 2009, the company pivoted to manufacturing its own products in 2023 in response to rising international demand. To support the next stage of its expansion, Lloyds provided a £400,000 funding package to enable operations through DMMP’s new Indian manufacturing arm, Indian Small Tool Equipment Company (ISTEC). Located near Pune in Western India, the site now employs more than 40 staff and has capacity to produce a container’s worth of spreaders daily for export worldwide. The US is also emerging as a key growth market, driven by the country’s expansive landscaping, golf and sports turf sectors. The company is also building out its presence across Asia, targeting emerging markets such as India, Vietnam and the Middle East. Since establishing the Indian facility in early 2024, DMMP has seen its turnover triple – driven by increased production capacity, shorter lead times, and the ability to fulfil larger export volumes. Looking ahead, DMMP Limited is forecasting further growth with the potential to double turnover again over the next 24 months. To support this, the company is investing in new metalworking machinery to bring more of the manufacturing process in-house and further improve quality control. Marcus Palmer, director at DMMP Limited, said: “Our international expansion has been the most ambitious and rewarding phase in our company’s near 100-year journey. Lloyds understood the complexity of what we were trying to do and structured a financial solution that bridged borders and timelines. Their support has helped us stay ahead of soaring demand, particularly in North America and India, while retaining the quality and precision our customers expect.” Claire Carr, relationship manager at Lloyds, said: “DMMP is a fantastic example of a business that has responded to supply chain challenges with innovation and bold thinking. Their shift from importer to international manufacturer demonstrates what’s possible with the right leadership and support. We’re proud to have helped facilitate this next chapter in their global expansion.”

See Limited ramps up hiring to support built environment growth

April Lara
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See Limited ramps up hiring to support built environment growth

Northamptonshire-based See Limited is expanding its workforce as part of its ongoing growth in the UK’s built environment sector. The company is currently recruiting for two new positions within its panel fabrication division, Bousfields, based in Corby.

The recruitment drive includes roles for a Production Support Specialist and a Sales Account Executive. The former will be responsible for managing the flow of materials to support production and delivery targets. At the same time, the latter will play a key role in driving commercial performance and client relationships.

This follows recent internal promotions and continued investment in operational leadership, as See Limited positions Bousfields for greater commercial output and market share. Bousfields, a long-established name in panel fabrication since 1949, is a core part of See Limited’s offering and central to its wider growth strategy.

Targeting candidates seeking long-term progression within the built environment industry, See Limited aims to strengthen its in-house capabilities and support its ongoing expansion in one of the UK’s largest economic sectors.

New CEO for Space Park Leicester

Tess Egginton
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New CEO for Space Park Leicester
The University of Leicester has named a new CEO to lead Space Park Leicester, its £100 million science and innovation park. The University has appointed Will Wells as chief executive officer of Space Park Leicester, who will take up the role from his current position as director of commercialisation and knowledge exchange within the research and enterprise division. Working at the juncture between business, universities and government, Will’s career has spanned senior roles in global corporations (Anglo-American and Cummins), the Civil Service and high growth SMEs. Will led on the commercial and government engagement themes of Space Park Leicester’s development from the initial concept through to its delivery. Nationally he has been the architect and executive lead on major national innovation programmes, including the Space Research Innovation Network & Technology (SPRINT), VentureVersity and, latterly, Forging Beyond. He is director of the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Leicester. He has an MBA and is Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. He takes on leadership of Space Park Leicester as professor Richard Ambrosi moves on from the role of executive director to focus his attention on the spinout company Perpetual Atomics, while continuing in his role as professor of Space Instrumentation and Space Nuclear Power Systems at Leicester. Will Wells, CEO of Space Park Leicester, said: “I am absolutely delighted to be leading Space Park Leicester in this next phase of its development and working with colleagues to deliver on our vision for a world leading beacon of Research, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation for the whole institution. “I am passionate about research and building partnerships that deliver impactful and inclusive growth for the University and our region. Beyond this, Space Park can lay claim to global reach and reputation, aligned with our international prominence in Space and Earth Observation.”
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